THE REAL GONE SINGLES BAR #104

This visit to the Singles Bar marks the second anniversary of the popular column. Something that started as an experiment with a plan to share a few tracks every month immediately sprang into life as a weekly fixture, and it pretty quickly became an important part of Real Gone’s coverage. Helping us mark this occasion, we’ve got new tracks from a couple of familiar names; a smart piece of indie rock; a brilliant shoegaze influenced number, something with bluesy leanings, and more besides. This varied selection really captures the spirit of the Singles Bar at its best…and as always, we hope you find something new to enjoy. Thanks for your ongoing support over the past couple of years, everyone. There are many more SB’s to come!

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Newton Faulkner, the much loved singer-songwriter who achieved great success with his ‘Handbuilt By Robots’ album in 2007 – is back. His current single ‘Alright Alright Alright’ is a definite curve ball. It features no obvious acoustic guitar work; it doesn’t care much for pop-centric melodies, and what’s more, it comes with a massively distorted vocal. By cranking some of his previous mechanical elements to extremes, this track takes Newton in almost an industrial direction; he plays fuzzy guitar lines leading to a heavy groove, and when applied to the aforementioned mechanics, it results in something with a massive amount of wallop. It’s got a great hook, too: the repeated title creates a superb refrain that’ll stick for days. Think you know Newton Faulkner? Think again…

‘Imaginary Friend’ by Sophia Kennedy is a curious listen. The bulk of the track works a repetitive, programmed drum loop and underscores that with a really lo-fi keyboard sound. This gives the single the feeling of a working demo. Its instrumental interlude hints at an old school brass fill, but never raises beyond a minimalist drone, further feeding into the number’s unrefined edge. But then, there’s a great vocal to offset everything… Sophia shares a bright and breezy melody that fuses something made for electro pop with a slight 60s vibe, giving the track far more of a crossover potential than first impressions would ever suggest. This is an interesting cut, and certainly one that sounds better over time.

Fans of classic shoegaze bands will find an instant love for Portland’s ‘Lay Me Down’. The track’s intro serves up an immediately ear-catching riff where a chiming guitar attacks over a swirling wall of sound, whilst a soaring lead guitar pierces through with an almost siren-like clarity. This monster of a riff is used just as effectively to underscore a simple chorus and between verses, ensuring that by the track’s end, it feels like an old friend. There’s enough here for those hoping to find a great melody too, since a quieter verse shares more of an accessible indie vibe that’s still retro and rocky, but not afraid to inject a little pop to make it all the more appealing. Often sounding like an extension of Keeley’s work, this is a single that indie and shoegaze fans everywhere should check out – and the fact that it’s so different from Portland’s ‘Sensational’ single from 2023 makes it even better. This is certainly not a band who are coasting or happy repeating themselves.

It was originally released in 2024, but ‘Golden Hour’ by Linds Sais is getting a second push for 2025. On this single, the Canadian artist shares a vocal that presents a very strong soul/R&B influence, set against a beat heavy pop/soul melody that could’ve been spawned at any point since the late 90s. With a strong influence from Alicia Keys, the single has a rhythmic quality, but still allows plenty of room for a huge, soaring vocal and for lovers of the style, the performer’s presence will be instantly captivating. Despite featuring a prominent vocal, however, the number’s best feature comes from a horn arrangement that mightn’t immediately be considered a natural fit. By dropping in various brass riffs that have more of a Mexicana flavour, the listener experiences more than the typical R&B vibe – something that feels more interesting – leading to a track that could catch a few people off guard.

There’s a pleasingly retro angle being tackled by aurorawave on their current single ‘Villian’. The track’s huge, grinding riffs provide a direct link back to the world of mid 90s nu matal; a melodic chorus opts for something more within an alternative rock mood tempered with a reggae rhythm without losing any of the hard edged guitar work, and an interlude setting angry vocals against synthesized strings adds more of a classic rap metal angle. That’s not all: when you think the band couldn’t drop anything else into this “kitchen sink arrangement”, there’s an old school metal solo pushing some really sharp lead guitar work to the fore. The fact that the band have managed to throw all of this into a musical blender and still deliver something with obvious hooks is impressive. It’s certainly a huge step up from their earlier ‘Kindness’ where they sounded like a band coasting whilst stepping on 311’s coattails…

Despite working itself around a steady rhythm driven by heady percussion and chugging guitar echoing previous Strange Majik greats, David Pattillo takes a couple of unexpected turns on the current single ‘NEWYORKCITY’. Using a punchy brass sound to punctuate the verses between moments of sassy vocal, it provides a great blend of funk and rock, allowing for a simple yet effective musical hook. Then, there’s the track’s chorus which turns everything on its head to make way for a huge, almost haunting wail that doesn’t immediately appear to fit with the job in hand. Best of all though, the solid sounding brass is eventually allowed a little more space, and adding a couple of jazz inflected solos to the piece, it creating the ultimate crossover between rock, blues, jazz and soul. It’s the ultimate culmination of Pattillo’s melting pot of sound, so different from the recent ‘Stranger’, but at the same time, a perfect fit for David and his associated musical friends.

With its prominent slide guitar work, Ledfoot’s ‘The Devil’s Game’ instantly shows off a gritty quality. As the arrangement grows, though, it’s soon clear that this is a single that has far more melody than the bluesy guitar lines would have you believe. Beneath the rawer edge, Ledfoot weaves more of an Americana flavour where banjo sounds add a trad element of a very different kind, and his featured vocal, despite being tinged with a world weary edge, also adds more of a melodic flair. The way he allows his voice to rise on the chorus is in contrast with the music’s darker edge, but at the same time, it’s a stylistic choice that really works, bringing more of an accessible edge to a great track. This will take a few listens before it really hits, but roots music fans are in for a treat.

Droning sounds and an off kilter rhythm provide a great intro for Our Nameless Boy’s ‘Dress Rehearsal’. From there, the Bristol band’s current single works an alternative rock sound that has an edge, and yet at the same time manages to feel very warm. A melodic vocal and a fat bassline drive the verse with a strong emo flair, before a pre-chorus brings an even more atmospheric quality. For those who came looking for big riffs, this doesn’t skimp once the chorus hits, with guitarist Ewan Simpson first attacking with a sharp sound that feels like a welcome throwback to Bloc Party’s classic ‘Helicopter’ before exploding into a post-punk attack that compliments an increasingly emotive vocal from Iain Gorrie. It’s a track that’s as much about atmosphere as anything else, but it’s a pleasingly mature workout that sets this band further on the road to greatness.

May 2025