This visit to the Real Gone Singles Bar sees the return of a couple of familiar names – including one that should be known to almost everyone. The choice of music, of course, should be new to most people’s ears. We’ve got a well arranged indie pop number, some fantastic sounding goth-rock, another country tune from a brand new face, and even a really strong world music offering. With tunes covering a broad spectrum of sounds, we hope you’ll find something new to enjoy!
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The first new studio recording from Bowling For Soup in three years, ‘Holding Onto That Hate’ is a power pop banger in the truest sense. Opening with stabbing pianos and huge sounding beats, the first verse takes a spacious approach, allowing Jaret Reddick’s vocal enough space to make an impression. It’s from there on that the single really starts to shine, however. The chorus comes loaded with power chords, the subsequent verses make great use of Cars-esque muted chords (along with a familiar synth stab or two to labour the point), a brief middle eight sounds like a tribute to the much-missed Fountains of Wayne, and a huge chorus shares some unmistakable melodic hooks. Throw in a few expletives and a strangely flippant approach to dealing with a toxic attitude, and in BFS terms, this becomes an instant hit.
US alternative rock band Octavian Winters make a much anticipated return with the dark and rhythmic ‘Saints of Absolution’. Right from the beginning of the track, the band weaves a classic goth influenced riff with a few melodic metal undertones, but it’ll be the drums that catch the ear. Powering against the guitar riff with an almost tribal like rhythm, the cymbal free approach offers something striking. With this, Octavian Winters have their audience’s attention even before the vocal arrives. Then, instead of hitting everyone with a huge cry, Ria Aursjoen offers a semi-whispered performance that adds a haunting edge to the powerful music. Eventually rising to explore a fuller sound, she summons the spirit of classic Siouxsie performances (perfect for the Banshees influence that also comes through the very Budgie-like drum part), before hitting full volume to create a strong link with her solo work. This number builds slowly, showing off each of the band members’ talents on a piece that’s been meticulously arranged, resulting in one of the best Octavian Winters tracks to date.
For his current single ‘Darya-B’, Iranian-American composer Ehsan Matoori has teamed up with vocalist Mina Deris, and the results are stunning. Taking words from poet Ferydoon Moshiri, the piece works a relatively mournful melody with waltzing elements and contrasts that with a rich and hopeful sounding vocal performance that allows Mina to soar. With minimal percussive elements at first, the focus is very much placed upon a confident voice and woodwind elements. With a couple of light jazz oriented fills, despite being sedate, the music conveys a constant feeling of movement – fitting for a number that has an English translation relating to the sea – and with a very warm bass sound pushing through the brilliantly orchestrated arrangement, this is a number that rewards repeated listens.
Continuing the promotion for the excellent ‘Tiger’ album, one man band Dotsun Moon has released ‘Army of Me’ as a digital single. In relation to some of the other Dotsun numbers, the shoegaze guitars take a little more of a back seat here, allowing more of a ‘Disintegration’ era Cure sound to take centre stage, along with light influence from The National. A slightly crooned vocal sounds superb set against a flowing piano, whilst arcs of guitar flesh out a great melody. More about mood than immediacy, this is a track that sounds better over time, and one that fans of Keeley (and her self-proclaimed “Keeley Sound”) should check out. With an atmospheric lead guitar break introducing an even more haunting melody, there’s a lot of greatness packed into this track, showing that Richard Fliel appears just as musically adept when approaching this slightly more introspective sound as he does tackling some of his more uplifting arrangements.
You wouldn’t ever expect a world of slide guitar and bluesy licks to kick off a track by a band chiefly associated with goth influenced metal and riaffs that lean towards the doomy, but that’s exactly what hits Messa’s audience at the beginning of ‘Reveal’. What’s more, from a stylistic perspective, those riffs are perfectly executed, flowing very naturally into something heavier. When the heavier elements hit, the bluesy tones remain, but they’re half buried in a world of pneumatic drumming, creating something really jarring. If you can make it through that heavier assault and reach the point where the vocals emerge, though, the result is really impressive. Offering a surprising amount of melody on the verse, a deep groove joins an echoing, gothy vocal, showcasing a great performance from Sara, adding an almost ghostly, very late 80s element to a brilliantly hard edged sound. Although ‘Reveal’ shows off Messa’s desire to be different from your run of the mill goth metal act, this is still a single that should appeal to a huge part of the goth metal crowd, and inspire them to dig a little deeper into this Italian band’s catalogue.
In accessible country terms, Taya Lebel’s ‘Life We’re Livin’ pushes a lot of the right buttons. Although its banjo led opening suggests more of a bluegrass feel, halfway through the first verse, the blend of country and pop comes through very strongly via a stomping rhythm, and an overdriven guitar chord powering a simple chorus hook brings things closer to a country rock sound. No matter where the music goes – with the banjo beavering away, and a bouncing bassline always helping to keep things moving – it’s Taya’s vocal that constantly draws the ear. Throughout this upbeat number, she shares a performance that makes the best of a high toned, vocal curl that celebrates a very 90s “new country” style. This is a confident debut, and definitely a track that fans of “poppy” country sounds should check out.
Blending elements of pop with retro guitar work and a pinch of R&B, Robert Grace’s 2024 single ‘Cowboy’ didn’t hold back when it came to mixing styles. ‘John Wick’ isn’t quite as bold on that front, but his modern brand of pop remains very distinctive. Opening with an echoing electric guitar and soaring vocal set against a strident beat, he moves away from his pop side and teases with something slightly Radiohead-esque, before introducing a chunky rock-centric riff against the beat. It’s a far cry from the R&B influenced ‘Not OK’ and a lot tougher than ‘Cowboy’, yet at the same time, there’s enough here that’s unmistakable. The way his high toned vocal floats above the chugging backdrop clings resolutely onto his pop credentials, and the fragility within parts of his delivery remains in keeping with what fans have come to expect. As always, it’ll take a few spins to stick, but this is a bold piece of pop-rock that could be Robert’s most mature work to date.
In the summer of ’24, TRNDS released ‘Heartbeats’, a radio friendly indie pop number that was one of the band’s best to date. A year on, ‘Knots & Crosses’ clings on a very commercial style, but works a different sound. A keyboard heavy approach harks back to the 80s, whilst a contrasting, rather busy rhythm feels a little more 90s influenced. These two very different elements are given a strong link via a flowing vocal that showcases TRNDS’ more melodic aspects, despite sharing a deep tone that feels as if it would be just as attuned with maudlin fare as it is with the band’s upbeat pop-rock. Things start strongly enough, but it isn’t actually until the last chorus when everything really starts to shine, when the lead vocal is joined by a solid harmony to give a great melody a much bigger send off. A few of the filtered vocals that are employed on this track might split opinion, but the heart of this single shows how the Glasgow based act continues to grow in confidence.
September/October 2025