Welcome back to the Real Gone Singles Bar, the place where we explore some of the more interesting individal tracks that have appeared in our inbox over the last few weeks. This time out, there are a couple of familiar faces, but their return visit to the SB ensures a genuine variety, genre-wise. Among other things, we’ve got a dance infused banger from a fantastic underground electronica act, a couple of country influenced tunes, and even a slab of metal that takes a rather unexpected turn! As always, we hope you find something new to enjoy.
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Following the wonderful ‘Angel’, Scottish singer songwriter Rianne Downey has returned with the almost equally enjoyable ‘Good In Goodbye’, another intimate sounding affair that truly highlights the beauty in her blend of folk and country music. With an opening driven by a soft foot-tapping beat, the verse throws a spotlight on a speedy rhythm, but as before, Downey’s acoustic playing is very much on point. Adding a couple of bluegrass elements, the country strains come through clearly, but the folk elements hold firm, whilst the lead vocal calls out with a marvellous clarity. Assuming you’ve not already been won over by a great melody, a shamelessly repetitive chorus is on hand to create a massive earworm that refuses to let go. In and out in just over two and a half minutes, it leaves no room for filler, resulting in another impressive single from a rising talent.
Opening with a mournful piano riff, taking strong cues from ‘Victory At Last’ by Eternal Eclipse, Emerald Sunday’s ‘Last Call’ immediately gives off a vibe of something that sounds like it should grace the end credits of a British film. The arrival of a confident, but equally sad vocal only reinforces these feelings. There’s an old soul within this still new track, and its lack of drums and bass creates something really set to tug at the listener’s heartstrings. With a soaring melody coupled with a lyric that’s essentially a plea for love, shared by a protagonist with a need to be “saved” by that special someone, the message feels as stark as the music itself. With this track, this Scottish band clearly understands the importance of “less is more”, and one listen is all that’s needed to make it clear that these four minutes share something quite striking.
Solid acoustic strums, a confident mid tempo, and light touches of country: the three elements that make up the heart of Amanda Keeley’s ‘Going Home’ set a timeless sound in place. The Canadian singer songwriter taps into a country-pop/rock sound here that’s very 90s, yet it doesn’t sound stale. It has a natural confidence that will immediately appeal to fans of the style, and a confessional lyric regarding finding oneself that fits the mood perfectly. Best of all, though, is Amanda’s vocal; she breathes life into a simple chorus with the help of some pleasingly breathy “oohs”, and the way she fills a couple of the song’s quieter moments with a subtle descending melody really draws the ear. Things take an unexpected detour when the country influences make way for a slightly funkier sounding middle eight that’s accompanied by a higher toned vocal, but this doesn’t feel out of place. If anything, it gives the melody an important lift before hitting the listener with the main hook one final time.
Opting for the lean and mean approach, AKA Belle’s ‘Fittin’ In’ is done and dusted in under two and a half minutes, but the number’s brevity really helps to make it feel more direct\. Opening with a huge twangy guitar delivering a bluesy riff, the band shares a core melody falls somewhere between Duane Eddy and ‘Blunderbuss’ era Jack White, and the addition of a pleasingly mature sounding vocal genuinely escalates any feelings that this track sounds like something that’s been discovered buried deeply in a blues rock archive. It’s massively retro, but nothing here sounds at all tired: with the help of handclaps, a couple of interesting stops, broad harmonies and a sizable but simple hook, this is a fun track that should appeal to lovers of an old school sound. The fact that part of the main hook sounds as if it were inspired by the R&B classic ‘Lookin’ Back’ makes it even better!
Jeremiah Rouse (aka The Quality of Mercury) shares a rather bold single with ‘Heaven’s Gate’. The opening riffs call back to 90s alternative rock/heavy indie sounds, but from there, everything stretches into a slightly stranger soundscape. Shrill synths lend more of an 80s feel, before heavy bass grooves and bendy strings hint at weirder alt-rock. The arrival of a vocal means its all change again, when a filtered sound adds a slight influence from space rock. With everything in place, this doesn’t leave much room for immediate hooks, but the arrangement is great. The heavy drums and spacious verse hint at an influence from early Smashing Pumpkins; the denser parts of the track sound like a callback to Spacemen 3, and – making a late appearance – a soaring lead guitar brings more of a post rock feel. In lesser hands, this multi-layered rocker could’ve sounded cluttered, but Rouse has a melodic ear which ensures the complex style sounds not only confident but very natural. This second single to be released after a nine year absence presents something that invites the listener to crank the volume and let themselves go…
Soft keys evoking the sound of a Fender Rhodes provide the perfect backdrop for a mellow vocal and confessional lyric throughout Lauren Wallace’s ‘Ghost’. The Irish newcomer has already demonstrated a gift for sharing something personal, but this track takes everything up a level. “The cracks that line the mirror”, she opines, “…can’t tell where my face starts or ends”, sharing a perfect metaphor for uneasy thoughts and self-doubt. Her aching vocal is a terrific fit for the very low key arrangement, but it’s not a track without an obvious hook. “She is my future, she is my past” Lauren cries at the track’s peak, sharing the feelings of living with inescapable memories, allowing her great voice to increase in volume, without ever destroying the melody’s continual feeling of fragility. There are echoes of early Adele tracks here, along with something that feels like a fuller, more satisfying Ellie Golding work. Still in her teens at the time of release, ‘Ghost’ shows a maturity that suggests Lauren will continue to deliver great things in the future.
In the early part of 2025, Zkeletonz released an excellent single.‘Wild For The Weekend’ was a Daft Punk influenced jam that was high on energy and even bigger on synth based coolness. A few months on, ‘OUT!’ retains the electronica troup’s gift for huge grooves. This time, there’s a bigger influence on retro funk, with a huge synth oriented bassline pumping the heart of the jam, but the trademark Zkelly elements hold firm: you’ll find a huge danceable groove that seems to really find its feet during the second half of the track; blankets of keys contrasting the busy rhythm with a very different kind of retro sound, and a whole world of pitch adjusted vocals that are likely to split opinion, but ultimately help to make Zkeletonz instantly recognisable. This doesn’t reach the stylistic perfection of ‘Wild For The Weekend’ – the ultimate “getting ready on a Friday night” banger – but if you loved Zkeletonz before, you’ll certainly love this.
Igorrr might well be one of the worst band names ever, but French multi-instrumentalist Gaultier Serre certainly knows his way around a great riff. The heart of ‘Daemoni’ works a slow, pounding blend of guitar and keys, drawing from both goth and industrial influences, creating something that creates a great atmosphere, before a great hardcore breakdown further into the realms of pure darkness. The tough edges sound great, but the real magic here occurs when Serre dares to bring in other elements. Contrasting the heaviness, you’ll find a passage of acoustic guitar work that takes an obvious cue from one of Ennio Morricone’s spaghetti western scores, the late arrival of some perfect operatic vocals, and even some rather glitchy electronica flourishes to add to the industrial edge. In terms of crossover sounds, this is unlikely to appeal to anyone from outside the metal community, but it’s perfectly executed, and sounds absolutely brilliant when played loudly.
September 2025