Welcome back to the Real Gone Singles Bar, the place where we throw a spotlight on some of the best new tracks that have landed in our inbox over the previous few weeks. It’s quite a rocky selection this time out, with an Irish band fusing some early 90s riffs with a distinctive voice, a groove laden track that takes the bones of garage rock and adds a heavier twist and a rock band reworking a 70s classic in an even harder style, but there’s variety too, with a dash of country and a couple of singer songwriters awaiting your attention. As always, we hope you find something new to enjoy…
*
In terms of “going retro”, Seattle’s Chico Detour takes a “go hard or go home” approach on ‘Loma Prieta (Walk You Home)’. The walking bassline and 50s toned rhythm guitars make no secret of the track’s old school heart with immediate effect, but Chico blends in a few extra elements to create something rather special. The addition of a few fuzzy garage rock guitars bring a little extra grit; bright piano sounds give off the air of Mark Oliver Everett and his love of toy instruments, and a crying sound lurking in the rear gives this doo wop inspired number a vaguely Hawaiian flavour that helps everything feels even more like a musical love letter to a bygone era. There’s a great vocal here too, with Chico flaunting a slightly filtered sound to bring an almost dream-like quality to the performance which, going forward, will make it hard to date.
On his debut single ‘Neon Lights’, singer songwriter Jeremy Grey shares an Americana influence that initially appears to call back to the 90s. Once he starts to sing, however, he manages to steer his audience towards more of a contemporary country sound. His vocal is dominated by a heavy twang, but for those who aren’t country averse, it’ll share something that’s both confident and melodic. Working through a verse that sometimes leans more towards country than rock within this “country rock” set up, Grey shows a genuine affinity with a rootsy sound and honest lyric. Everything here is enjoyable, but it’s during the chorus this track truly comes alive. Making good on the retro elements from the intro, everything ends up feeling a little more like a more country infused John Mellencamp, suggesting that although Grey will be keen to forge his own path and be recognised for his own obvious talents, he isn’t afraid of borrowing from a classic influence.
You might remember Dead Chic from their huge sounding single ‘Pain Love Joy’ which blended garage rock guitar lines with raw sounding vocals for maximum impact. Their current track ‘The Bells & The Fists’ is a little more subtle by comparison, but it still rocks. Opening with a retro sounding guitar line setting up a swaggering groove, the performance immediately sounds like an old school classic, but from there, everything branches out into something much more sinister. Hushed vocals reinforce a dark mood; stabs of organ lend a very 70s edge, and the arrival of a howling lead guitar takes everything into an angrier place. The blend of gruffness and confidence demonstrated here falls somewhere between Grinderman and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, but those influences are channelled into something that sounds genuinely enthused. Easily the band’s finest four minutes to date, this is a single that has the potential to secure Dead Chic a wave of new fans in 2026.
With its mix of mellow vibes and questioning lyrics, Hannah Schneider’s ‘In This Room’ might have suited an arrangement associated with a more “standard” singer songwriter approach, but the performer’s decision to blend orchestrated elements with electronica inspired loops and beats creates something a lot more distinctive. The music isn’t as distinctive as the vocal, however, and throughout the track Hannah adopts a rather smart style where she uses her voice to flow between moody tones, through to higher registers, all the while using an affected delivery to mask the lyric. In that sense, her voice almost becomes like extra instrumentation here. Although this is very much a recording that’s likely to split opinion, looking at it objectively, it’s fantastic art pop, leaving the listener with something that moves beyond quirky into the realms of the strangely ethereal.
US heavy rockers Blazoner look to the past and a classic influence on their current single ‘I’m In Love With My Car’. A preview of their upcoming covers EP, the band take the classic Queen number and put it through its paces by introducing a heavier riff, adding a touch of stoner-ish weight, before reworking Roger Taylor’s slightly overwrought vocal into something more sympathetic to a classic sounding melodic metal sound. A couple of the bigger vocal notes may jar on first listen, especially if you’re over familiar with the original cut, but in the main, singing drummer Andy Murray turns in a great performance and his deeper tones fit brilliantly with the heavier riff. Although most of the elements here are strong, this really comes into its own towards the climax when some very melodic lead guitar work provides a welcome alternative to Brian May’s signature sound. Attempting to cover Queen can often be a thankless task, but Blazoner are set to attract new ears with this track, and ‘I’m In Love With My Car’ bodes well for the rest of their upcoming material.
‘Beating Heart’, the brand new offering from indie artist Casey Wells, serves up a strange, almost trippy slice of indie pop with psych undertones. Setting up a hazy sound and mid tempo in the opening bars, the recording isn’t shy in advertising its floatier qualities with immediate effect and, at least on the surface, the recording doesn’t seem to explore much else. Take a closer listen, though, and behind the heavily filtered vocals, you’ll discover Richard Wright-esque Farfisa sounds, a world of layered melodies that gently tip the hat towards ‘Yoshimi’ era Flaming Lips and Tame Impala, and perhaps most importantly of all, a great melody that manages to punch its way through the world of studio trickery, keen to give the listener an experience that’s strangely inviting.
The opening of Gather The Lost’s ‘Delusional’ appears rather ordinary with its mix of mid tempo, melodic rock riffs and echoing guitar tones. However, things aren’t entirely what they seem: the middle of the track introduces some slightly funky basswork to give everything a further lift, and there are a couple of moments between the heavier sounds that lean gently towards more of a proggy tone. It’s not the music here that wins out, though. This is given an absolutely incendiary send off thanks to its really interesting vocal. To begin with, Carolyn Dunne adopts a dark and haunting tone to fill the verse, but uses her impressive range to share a really broad sound on the chorus that, although far more theatrical than this kind of number would normally need, really helps to pull the listener further into this Irish band’s huge sounding world. As things progress, her voice becomes even bigger still, almost taking on operatic tones at the loudest points of a superb arrangement. It has all the makings of a “love it or hate it” voice, but on this recording, Carolyn relies upon fewer affectations than the band’s previous single ‘Never Home’. Whether you fully tune in or not, her approach plays a vital role in making this band sound just a little different, and with a vast amount of new music appearing online every week, it’ll really help GTL to stand out.
Combining a stoner rock swagger and a post hardcore crunch, ‘Glass House’ – the current single from Abrams – isn’t shy when it comes to a riff. Throughout the track, the band attack with a real intent, and although there are moments where a superb drum sound feels like the dominant force, a really crunchy Helmet influenced guitar brings a huge amount of weight to an impressive, heavy melody. The bulk of this performance delights in sharing a great groove, but even when Abrams slow things enough to drop into a classic hardcore breakdown, or unexpectedly break into a thrashy riff to finish, the tones and attitude shared are absolutely first rate.
January 2026