Welcome back to the Real Gone Singles Bar, the place where we explore some of the individual tracks that have been sent our way over the past few weeks. This selection is another genuinely mixed bag, sharing – amongst other things – a country track, a dance number, a perfect homage to 90s shoegaze, and a tune from an up and coming rock band featuring a huge vocal. As always, we hope you find something new to enjoy.

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Likened to “a sun soaked swirl of psychedelia”, there’s a lot to love about ‘Slowly Disappearing’ from Seattle’s Acapulco Lips. From the moment a heavily reverbed guitar hits upon a huge, ;ate 60s derived sound and the rhythm section deliver some heady garage rock vibes, it becomes the kind of retro track that commands attention. That’s even before the vocals kick in with a sunny, curling mass of female tones that help this underground act sound like the bastard children of Billy Childish and Voice of The Beehive. Once the melody really finds its feet, the single sounds like a deep cut you’ve somehow known forever, and a round of really catchy “ba ba ba”s seals the deal. For those yet to be convinced, the instrumental break takes a detour into strange and hazy psych territory bringing a 60s sound of a different kind, to allow for deep drones and a semi-spiky lead guitar to do battle. A couple of spins of this and you’ll likely be hooked!

Sharing something that’s almost impossible to pigeonhole, Fabrizio Cammarata thinks rather big on ‘Asanta’. Following an intro featuring Italian vocals and synth drones, the single moves into a quieter passage featuring Mediterranean folk melodies via the acoustic guitar. Fabrizio transitions into an English vocal, and then just as things seem to have settled, it’s all change again for an orchestral backdrop, bringing a love of chamber pop to the fore. For most artists, that would be enough, but things don’t settle there. Building to a huge climax, the synth drones reappear, and the rising melody via the strings builds to a massive crescendo, with Fabrizio reaching inside himself for a huge, emotive vocal. Befitting of the grand music, his performance doesn’t aim squarely for a pop audience; what transpires is a slightly husky, almost Peter Gabriel-esque tone, and when everything finally blends together it sounds great. This isn’t an especially commercial track, but in terms of mixing influences and pushing boundaries, it’s a real winner.

There’s something incredibly pure about ‘Girl From The Mountain’, the current single from country duo Joselyn & Don. From the moment the intro hits with a soft acoustic melody augmented with dobro sounds, the listener is thrown into a rootsy landscape, and even when the bulk of the number gets coloured by a pop-centric production, Joselyn’s beautifully clear vocal style clings onto some fine country influenced tones. There’s such a broad, easy melody at the heart of this number, it has a chance of connecting with listeners who wouldn’t normally pick this as their chosen genre: the playing is very natural; the atmospheric musical embellishments add an extra rootsy tone without becoming the dominant feature, and the vocal is pitch perfect. …And if, somehow, you’ve not been drawn in by the halfway point, Joselyn unleashes a catchy as hell wordless hook, pulling the country tune further towards the realms of adult pop. In short, this is a great single.

With influences ranging from indie, alt-country and psychedelia, Boston rock band Tiberius (not to be confused with the Scottish metal band of the same name) have labelled their sound “Farm Emo”. ‘Sag’, the lead single from their upcoming LP, ‘Troubador’, is an excellent indicator of their alternative interests. The track kicks off with a sizeable guitar riff and an almost funky bassline, which completely wrong-foots the audience, since the bulk of the sounds that follow fall far more into the trippy indie/light slacker bracket. The verses make a superb use of a bright sounding guitar and warbly vocal courtesy of bandleader Brendan Wright (they/them) – clearly a musician who’s able to weave an atmospheric and emotive sound. Things really spring into life when the whole band hits upon something a little more aggressive however, and when attacking at full volume, the love for Superchunk and Dinosaur Jr makes a superb contrast to the hazier vibes set in place elsewhere. Wonderfully nostalgic but without feeling dated, ‘Sag’ offers the more discerning rock fan a world of entertainment in under four minutes.

Dear Boy hark back to the early 90s on the brilliant ‘Kelly Green’. The US based shoegaze revivalists waste no time on hitting their audience with a baggy drum part, over which a wall of fuzzed up and slightly jangly guitars swoop and dive with the confidence of old Ride tunes, and a filtered vocal puts in some hard yards to create something that feels even more atmospheric. By the time the instrumental break hits – more concerned with selling the strong, feel good melody of the main riff rather than pushing a half buried lead guitar to the fore – this genuinely feels like a piece of unearthed treasure from yesteryear. Nostalgia rarely sounded so good…or as authentic.

Back in the late 90s, Sublime made some fairly big waves before the untimely death of frontman Bradley Nowell cut the reggae/alternative band off in their prime. Years passed, archives were raided for unreleased gems, and surviving members Eric and Bud toured with other musicians. This pleased some fans, but nothing felt completely right…until now. The band’s current single ‘Ensenada’ immediately hits upon a classic reggae groove, where the bass and drums truly evoke a couple of the deep cuts from the band’s self titled record from 1996, which suggests a musical strength, but its when the vocals kick in that this track springs to life. Jakob Nowell turns in a fantastic performance, easily mirroring all of his late father’s inflections, right to the point where it could be one of Brad’s old tracks. The resemblance is truly frightening. Throw in a prominent guitar solo, a quieter breakdown and a bit of reverb, and this has all of the right ingredients – against the odds – for a genuine Sublime classic.

Northern Irish band Final Thirteen share some great riffs and an even greater vocal on the very strong ‘Nicky’s Song’. Weaving a waltz time signature, the track offers a fairly spacious feel to allow the drums to swing, and shifting between quiet and loud sections builds a genuine atmosphere, but it’s a semi-dirty guitar tone and a devastating voice that’ll leave an indelible impression. On the louder parts of the number, guitarist JD taps into a superb post-grunge sound, which provides a great example of the band’s musical muscle for the first time listener, but it’s Ax’s lead vocal which ultimately steals the show. On the verses, a spoken narrative is offered, taking the audience squarely into a world of thoughts regarding close friend’s suicide, while a contrasting chorus delivers a full scale cry, sharing a rawness that cannot be ignored. Ax’s voice is one of the biggest to emerge from the underground rock scene in some time, and the fact that this track appears to value anger and pure emotion over perfection makes their performance even stronger. For fans of old school alternative rock, this will almost certainly make its mark.

Last up, here’s a huge slab of danceable electronica from Harvey Sutherland. Blending a very club-centric rhythm from the mid 90s with a more contemporary vocal – absolutely drenched in effects – ‘Body Language’ immediately sets an inhuman quality in place, but beneath the cold veneer, there’s actually plenty to like throughout the track. Firstly, the incessant rhythm brings a strong feel good vibe, but listen a little more closely and the keyboard elements add a touch of funk, and even the vocal has its own charm, despite constantly pulling away from any actual warmth. Those into retro dance sounds will almost certainly find something here that’s accessible, even if a wider audience fails to connect.

July 2025