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 previous few weeks. This time out, we bring you a new track from a still new rock band, a fantastic piece of soul, a heartfelt country number, a new take on a Halloween staple, and more besides. As always, we hope you find something new to enjoy!
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In the summer of ’25, Blake Rascals made their debut with the impressive ‘Conspiracy of Snakes’. In many ways, their current single ‘Money Maker’ is even stronger. The groove of the verse sets a classic garage rock sound in place – tapping into the more more melodic aspects of The Libertines – but the number soon becomes much broader in appeal. The band first show their abilities at stretching genre boundaries with a surprisingly melodic chorus, driven by some shamelessly infectious “yeahs”, but then branch out further still with the aid of a lead guitar break that sounds like it’s been dropped in from a classic 80s rocker. This musical combination creates something that’s still fuzzy – especially in the vocal department – but big enough, and hooky enough, to click with a fairly wide audience.
Programmed beats and a pulsing bass sit at the heart of ‘Oh It Must Be Nice’ by Irish artist Christian Cohle, but this isn’t a single that feels as cold or detached as you might think. The arrival of a deep, crooned vocal summons memories of 80s singer songwriter Colin Vearncombe, but Cohle then changes the mood by injecting notes that hint at a love of John Cale, before arriving at something that struggles to hide influence from Bryan Ferry. His voice is great – genuinely striking in the way it rises and falls – and this allows the music to remain virtually unchanged without the track becoming dull. By the time things start to pull to a close, the singer reaches inside himself to unleash a full cry, which leaves the listener feeling slightly disoriented, yet at the same time, sort of amazed by this piece. It doesn’t have an obvious hook behind the superb vocal, but if Bryan Ferry had recorded this at the tail end of the 80s, it would’ve quickly been considered one of his greatest album cuts.
Joselyn & Don’s earlier single ‘Girl From The Country’ shared a great bass sound and steady pop-rock rhythm, allowing the performance to tip its hat to some great 70s country rock fare. ‘Workin’ The Hi-Line’ is more purist in its love for Americana, paring down the music to allow a crying steel to take centre stage during the first verse, and presenting a classic freight train rhythm, but as the number grows, so too do its warmer elements. A walking bassline provides a great backline, while the steel reinforces a classic “old country” sound. Once everything is in place, the unwavering rhythm proves itself a perfect fit for a lyric concerning settlers working on the railways “until it’s quittin’ time”. Joselyn & Don deliver absolutely perfect harmonies throughout, and the track’s narrative concerning the early immigrants to the US is both thoughtful and sympathetic. Coming amid a time of absolute turmoil, this track couldn’t feel any more heartfelt.
A soft electric piano and the sound of a jazzy bass make no secret of the mellow vibe that eminates from The Wood’s current single ‘Cold Fire’. It has a sophisticated, 70s imbibed quality that’s really warm, and quite different from the Liverpool duo’s previous work. The arrival of a steady beat gives the arrangement the feel of something that fuses 90s acid jazz coolness with the timeless soul of Gladys Knight, whilst some very subtle jazz guitar adds an extra layer of late night haziness. The music is superb, but it’s quickly outshone by guesting vocalist Brooke Combe, whose huge performance really helps this become a classic track. Bringing in a second vocal at the eleventh hour, the soul slips into something a little more gospel tinged, but those who’ve already found a love for this recording will definitely find themselves utterly absorbed by the bigger sounds filling the number’s impressive climax.
Dirt Road Soul’s ‘Hold On Soul’ is one of those numbers that sounds impressive from the get go. Opening with an overdriven guitar, there are echoes of Uncle Tupelo’s more ragged works, but allowing things to settle, this track soon shares a perfect blend of Americana and roots rock that calls back to 90s bands like Rob Rule. The mid tempo melody allows plenty of room for a broad vocal to share a heartfelt performance, while a ringing guitar tone brings a slightly rocky edge throughout. Although these two features dominate – eventually sounding like a mid 90s Jayhawks number that’s less country fixated and adorned with a tougher vocal taking centre stage – a subtle banjo running through the centre of the arrangement boosts the band’s Americana credentials in a very effective way, without being too offputting to those who might be approaching this from more of a “rock” perspective.
With ‘Little Bit Closer’, Dublin based band Aryel Moon show signs of having woken up in 1994. From the very first notes, the track makes no secret of its love for those heady days of grunge, with a barrage of riffs that fuse ‘Live Through This’ era Hole with something that occasionally sounds like a grubbier take on something from Belly’s darker second album ‘King’. Lovers of the style will consider this a very good thing: the chopping riffs are spot on, sounding like buried treasure from the past, and Donatella Commeda’s vocal is a perfect fit, combining a strong melody with an obvious sneer that adds a great tone to an already classic arrangement. This is much more immediate than the band’s previous single ‘Bluebell’ – which showcased a waltzing rhythm and slightly strung out melody – and far more likely to bring new fans to the fold. A brilliantly nostalgic track.
Another 90s inspired number but with a very different feel, Dundee’s Desert Kites serve up a world of choppy indie riffs on the brilliantly uptempo ‘Summer Light’. The way bright sounding guitar lines collide with a wilful use of stops gives the number an immediate sense of spark, whilst a very natural vocal brings the overall sound much closer to past Desert Kites works. Everything here works effectively without ever resorting to obvious flashiness, and a reflective lyric exploring feelings about changing seasons and potentially “running out of time” adds a less than optimistic edge that feels very…Scottish. Best of all, though, is the way the arrangement is given a massive lift by a semi-bluesy lead guitar solo coupled with a world of crashing cymbals, showing how the band can rock out a little more naturally. If you’ve followed Desert Kites’ progress so far – and enjoyed some of their prior works – there’s plenty to enjoy here.
Last up, the always brilliant Bad Mary are getting in the Halloween spirit. On a cover of ‘The Time Warp’ – the Rocky Horror Show tune known to almost everyone – they apply their pop punk chops in such a way that the familiar tune has a welcome extra punch, without drawing too much away from its inherent silliness and knowing high camp. The guitars are grubby and a heavily applied bass drum gives the performance a tougher edge, but the music is outshone by Amanda Mac’s vocal which applies a vampish sneer throughout to bring a far more theatrical feel. Fans of the band will love this, even before the lyrical chorus hook crashes in with a wealth of harmonies that help to bring everything back to its theatrical origins. There have been times where it’s felt like ‘The Time Warp’ never really needed to be heard again – but here, Bad Mary give it a welcome kick, helping it to feel fresh once more.
October 2025
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