This visit to the popular Singles Bar presents a variety of new and underground sounds. There’s a singer songwriter sharing a deep folk melody, the return of some British ska legends, and even a tune from a legendary Britpop act that’s a little different to many of their biggest hits. You’ll also find a great cover tune, a massive slab of Finnish metal, and more besides… As always, we hope you find something new to enjoy!
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Kelsey Michael’s ‘Lethowsow’ was one of the best albums of 2024. After a period away from the spotlight, she has returned with a very bold single recorded with The Happy Couple. Part of Bring Your Own Hammer’s ongoing project to bring the words of 19th Century Irish writers to life via the voices of contemporary musicians, Kathryn Tynan’s ‘Nymphs’ sounds great in Kelsey’s more than capable hands. Opting for a haunting opening, the first verse is sung a cappella, throwing a strong focus on a folk based melody, at first sounding like a deep cut from ‘Lethowsow’. A little further into the body of the piece, the arrival of occasional mouth harp noises seems particularly striking. It fits with the minimalist feel, yes, but obviously doesn’t naturally compliment the flow. This gives a stronger feeling of a theatrical/arty piece, moving beyond the realms of singer songwriter and folk fare. Eventually capitalising on a strong melody and introducing some minimalist acoustic sounds, everything settles into a rather lovely folk performance, and harmony voices are used brilliantly to accentuate the track’s folk tones in a way that connects with The Unthanks and cult Irish acid folk act Mellow Candle. Although the end result, obviously, doesn’t aim for giving everyone an especially cheery time, in terms of capturing a very specific mood, it’s an absolutely perfect recording.
Those expecting feelgood pop rock in the vein of ‘Good Enough’ and ‘Staying Out For The Summer’ when approaching the current Dodgy single might well be in for a surprise. ‘It’s Not The End’ works around a world of wavering synths, a huge drum sound and a ringing guitar part that sounds more like something you’d expect to hear from a psych throwback. These things combined arguably present a more “grown up” sounding band, and vocalist Nigel Clark offers a great sounding, light and airy vocal to suit. As things progress, the mid tempo arrangement, augmented by lightly approached, soaring guitar lines, gives off even more of a retro, hazy feel, and everything sounds great. Eventually, an understated chorus comes brimming with the kind of harmonies you’re likely expecting, bringing a nice balance to a very mature sounding piece. This is very much the kind of track that could make any Dodgy doubters have a rethink…
The new single from The Trampoline Delay sounds like something you’ve always known. The intro’s mix of solid bass lines and ringing guitar immediately recalls ‘The Distance To Here’ era Live, and that in itself will be enough for the track to gain attention from some listeners. The way this Canadian outfit blend a very 90s influenced sound with light waves of psych keeps things fairly interesting, however. The warmth of the bass is in contrast with a filtered and floaty vocal; solid drum lines keep a groove at times when it feels as if the floaty melodies might be in danger of drifting away on their own hazy cloud, and an arc of distortion brings a light shoegaze influence somewhere unexpected. The main melody is great, but if a small criticism could be made, ‘Tandem Bike’ is a single that feels as if it should do a little more. At the point where any kind of hook or chorus should emerge, there’s just a slightly busier guitar, and then everything drops straight back into the verse melody. At the right time of day and in the right frame of mind, it’ll all sound better, but this is very much a case of “close…but…”
Finnish rock band Le Zok aim for retro in a really big way on ‘Kärpäsvaikutus’. Mixing acoustic and electric guitars, the track centres around a huge jangle, yet that manages not to be the dominant force throughout a careening four minutes. Building the layers, the track takes in furious Steve Turner-esque slide guitar work, bringing a fierce garage rock edge, but shifting away from genre norms, that’s contrasted by a repetitive keyboard riff that uses morse-like notes to drive everything forward with a Devo-ish influence. The contrast between the rough and the mechanical is constantly striking; so much so, that the music swamps the vocal, which, shared in Finnish, adds another distinctive edge. Although this isn’t quite as accessible as their previous digital single ‘Sharmaani’ and won’t be for everyone, it’s great to hear something that feels like a huge step away from the norm and blends genres in a way that makes Le Zok stand out.
Also hailing from Finland, Monsternaut are absolutely unrepentant when it comes to delivering a massive sound. Building upon the fuzzy stoner influences of their earlier releases, their current single ‘Drain’ takes a slightly heavier stance. It still clings onto a very strong 70s influence, though, with doomy Sabbath-esque riffs and a bluesy, descending melody filling the intro, before branching out into a tough blend of swaggering grooves and rough hewn vocals for the verse and beyond. The abrasive voice takes a little tuning in, but this is one of those retro sounding metal numbers that, no matter where the riffs go, the music sounds absolutely terrific. There are many elements to the Monsternaut sound that will seem very familiar, but they’re a cast iron example of why well played stoner/doom never gets old.
When it comes to serving up a retro sound, singer songwriter Ruby James goes hard on her current single ‘Bumble Bee’. The way that track is drenched in reverb makes it sound huge, and the way James adopts a huge curling vocal to counter a very rockabilly inspired riff makes the performance sound bigger still. There are fleeting moments when this Laverne Baker cover sounds like the Detroit Cobras in a sedate mood; other moments where the vocal and groove fit a little more closely with their 50s origins, but still sound great in the present. There’s even a hint of Stevie Ray Vaughan within the lead guitar work, courtesy of a guesting Rosie Flores, but no matter what influence you’d like to pin on this, there’s no mistaking Ruby & Rosie’s sense of commitment here, or the huge amount of swagger that drives a great track.
With a hard strummed acoustic guitar and prominent harmonica, Andrew Deevey channels 60s folk rock on ‘Money Can’t Buy Me Love’. It’s not a straight throwback, however: a bright production sound and a lot of energy help the song to stand closer in line with a lot of 00s indie-folk fare, and it’s a sound that suits Deevey’s very natural vocal style. Lyrically, the song hints at a “Broken Britain”, with phrases like “can’t pay, we’ll take it away” sticking out from first listen, and an although an over-reliance of easy Noel Gallagher rhyming is, perhaps, rather too simplistic, Andrew’s energy is enough to constantly push the melody forward.
Last up, ‘Take Me Back’, the second single to be released from King Prawn in 2026, finds the UK ska punks in an incendiary mood. Opening with a very retro twang, the track immediately has a genuine energy, but the way the Duane Eddy inspired riff collides with huge brass fills sets a great contrast in place. On this well arranged track, the band find time to tease with heavier sounds, but deliver a riff that sounds as if were designed to get live audiences bouncing, and drop a hugely infectious “na na” fuelled chorus hook that’ll certainly make everything stick. Coupled with the band’s typically socially conscious lyrical stance, this is one of the now veteran band’s best tracks to date.
February 2026