Welcome back to the Real Gone Singles Bar, the place where we explore some of the more interesting individual tracks that have landed in our inbox over the past few weeks. In this rather mixed bag, you’ll find old school balladry with an obvious love for Roy Orbison, some great roots rock from the UK, a noisy and slightly avantgarde comeback track, all sitting alongside something clearly inspired by the mighty Mercury Rev. With a folky tune, a solid slab of metal and a number with a light prog influence also present, we hope there’s something here for almost everyone.
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Strong 90s vibes cut through the centre of ‘Everyone Else Disappears’ by Young Martyrs, with the band working a very melodic sound that falls somewhere between rots rock, power pop and chunky Americana. Dropping between the vocals, the track’s soaring lead guitars go a very long way to providing an instant melodic hook, but the number’s concession to harmonies on the chorus also bring a huge amount of appeal, and some pleasingly light tones explored during the middle eight give the arrangement a great feeling of balance. This is rather commercial sounding, but also more upbeat than the Martyrs’ earlier ‘Again’, which should help it to be a little more instant in terms of all round appeal. Although this is definitely one of those times where any familiar sounds work very much to the band’s advantage, several spins of this single will confirm any early feelings of it being one of the best Young Martyrs tunes to date.
Irish singer songwriter Conn Thornton understands that sometimes less can be more. His current single ‘The Ballad of McKinley Park’ places a simple acoustic guitar over a light mechanical rhythm which, with the aid of a waltzing rhythm and lilting vocal, creates something quite haunting. There are moments here that sound like the missing link between Elliot Smith and the slighter elements of The Magnetic Fields’ ‘69 Love Songs’, but Conn brings his own distinctive voice with the help of an Irish accent, and a nod to cosmic country via an echoing slide guitar. It’s also worth noting how he takes the listener out of the wonderful malaise by occasionally reaching for a few rather grandiose vocal notes, by way of an unexpected hook. This doesn’t make the track any less of a slow burner, but in the right frame of mind and heard at the right time of day, this has the potential to be rather lovely.
LA’s Triptides serve an alternative summer hit with ‘Shapeshifter’. With immediate effect, the track’s slow and hazy vibe sounds perfect for taking the listener away from their daily humdrum. The guitar parts overlay fuzzy leads over a mid tempo, creating a neo-psychedelia that feels like a direct descendent of the brilliant Mercury Rev, and a high toned vocal reinforces any easy comparison to that band, and even the more melodic elements of the Flaming Lips catalogue. Unexpectedly, the slightly otherworldly quality of the melody also nods towards The Delines, whilst tying everything together with a melodicism that sounds like a distant cousin of Ocean Alley. Despite being a mish mash of fairly key influences, this track still plays brilliantly in its own right, with an accessible edge that makes it a listen that should still appeal to first time listeners.
The vocal might not sit entirely comfortably against the pulsing keys during the intro, and the first few bars certainly have the potential to leave the audience a little uncertain of what lies ahead, but once it finds its feet, ‘Launching A Satellite’ by Chicago’s Push Puppets is an absolute gem. The pulsing keys have already signified this isn’t a straight up pop-rocker, but the soaring melodies that fill the chorus and the chiming guitars that bolster a great sound feel as if they’re unexpectedly leaning into classic 90s prog. Somewhere around the end of that first chorus, the ear is drawn further into a great sound blending radio friendly adult pop and proggy flourishes, and the mix of shimmering guitars and harmony vocals sounds genuinely wonderful. Any hint of prog is ultimately amplified by the instrumental parts of the track showcasing some great lead guitar, and when the elements come together to create a great finish with a countermelody that sounds as if it were written for strings, it eventually becomes the kind of track that begs to be heard again and again. For lovers of John Mitchell and Frost* looking to get their ears around something a little different, this is definitely worth a listen.
A trilogy of EP’s – ‘See Evil’, ‘Hear Evil’ and ‘Speak Evil’, released between 2021 and 2022 – gained UK metal band Bang Bang Firecracker some very enthusiastic press. The band’s riff heavy approach, blending elements of John Bush era Anthrax with a pinch of hardcore and occasional atmospheres borrowed from Slayer’s slower numbers, very much struck a chord with parts of the metal underground. Their current single ‘Diamonds & Dirt’ retains the signature heaviness, but finds the band stretching out a little. The track has a dirty groove running through the centre, hinting more at the kind of thing a less metal-centric band might apply to a punk ‘n’ roll workout, and this allows a weighty bass to take centre stage. Not to be outdone, the guitars take on a similar forcefulness and the trio sound like a truck. The overall groove carries a hint of Motorhead, even though the end sound is very much the band’s own, and between some very tough edges, a familiar gruff vocal and a great hook, extant fans should love what they hear, even though this number ultimately finds BBF breaking new ground.
‘Juliet’, the debut single from Beta Trip, opens very gently. A couple of piano chords and a lightly strummed guitar sit cautiously between a quiet-ish vocal, and then – bam! – the drums kick in, a bouncing bass fleshes out the sound and the vocal hits upon a melody that’s somehow familiar. There are a few jangly moments here where the new band’s sound hints at a love of second tier Britpop, but this track’s finest elements present themselves during an all too brief instrumental break where the melody slips into something that sounds a little more like peak Del Amitri. A couple of listens really allows the familiar sounds to stick, and although the band never opt for anything flashy, this is a likeable pop rocker that values a sing along potential over almost everything else – and in a lot of ways, that simplicity is its strength. As debuts go, this is a solid start, and certainly suggests there’ll be more enjoyable material to come from these guys in future.
Hot on the heels of an excellent single from up and coming singer songwriter Elliot James Reay which flaunted a love for Roy Orbison and Chris Isaak, here’s a track that shares an even bigger and more obvious love for The Big O. ‘Foolish Heart’ by Tami Neilson comes straight from a pre-Beatle age, and from a world where jukeboxes and diners were the chief interests of the young. From the second this track opens with a wall of lush strings, it makes no secret of having been inspired by Orbison’s heartbreaking balladry, and as the melody grows, the ghosts of tunes like ‘It’s Over’ swirl above Neilson’s huge vocal. The influence may not be subtle, but the performer’s own talent really shines here; the country singer turns her hand to this huge ballad with absolute ease, and the precision in which she curls her voice around an all too familiar melody – despite being a newly written track – is certainly impressive. Across these four minutes, her voice goes from huge to immense, and when eventually reaching full belt at the number’s climax, Tami ensures this is a track that’s almost impossible to ignore.
‘Pollyanna’, the first new track to emerge from Just Mustard in three years, creates a very interesting noise. During the intro, a baggy inspired rhythm sits uneasily against a two note drone, and a layer of distortion amps up a real feeling of tension. For the first few seconds it feels as if the returning band are about to smash their audience with something almost uncategorisable. Bringing in the vocal, things start to make more sense, but even then, Katie Ball’s really high tones add an extra level of unease. Allowing time for things to settle, the number eventually forms a great slab of shoegaze, where the louder and more obtuse elements definitely hark back to peak My Bloody Valentine. By the close of the track – and having allowed time for the vocal melody to weave a great sound against the wall of noise – fans will likely find themselves in the presence of something they’ll treasure. Despite its lack of “radio friendly” qualities, this is very strong indeed.
June 2025