With new tracks from a couple of the indie scene’s UK/Irish leading lights and a Bristol based guitar driven band who’ve already attained cult status, this visit to the Singles Bar feels rather weighted towards jangly material and swirly shoegaze sounds, but with a very retro sounding track that fuses blues rock with prog flourishes and a dreamy number from a French singer-songwriter, there’s a sharp contrast too, helping to keep the usual love of shining a light upon the most cult of artists. Bolstered by an unexpected reissue from the 80s and a lo-fi workout that could split opinion, it’s certainly an interesting selection this time around. As always, of course, we hope you find something new to enjoy!
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The current album from dream pop/shoegaze band KEELEY is very strong indeed. A few of the album tracks are among the best things Keeley Moss has written to date, and the band now have a strong enough presence to have a few famous fans. One of those is Boo Radleys man Sice, who guests on the ‘Trains & Daydreams’ single, allowing his higher register to add light harmonies against Moss’s now distinctive tones. Even without Sice, though, this is a track that would still play very confidently within the narrative driven KEELEY universe, however. The interplay between an upfront bassline and a world of dream pop guitars creates a busy sound that constantly draws the ear during a well structured verse, whilst a noisier rhythm guitar attacks on the chorus in a way that shows how effortlessly KEELEY can hit a brilliant fuzz-laden groove. For those who’ve journeyed with KEELEY this far, this mightn’t bring too many musical surprises, but it’s a very tightly arranged track that plays so much to the band’s strengths.
The upright piano that introduces ‘La Nuit’ by Aure presents a very natural, almost lo-fi sound. By not arriving with all guns blazing, it invites the listener to stop in their tracks…and actually listen. From there, the melody shared feels almost timeless, with flowing notes that retain a very homespun feel, perfect for the hushed French vocal that leads the track. Somewhere around the mid point, the melody shifts into something a little more uplifting without actually changing the mood too much, and this – for those who aren’t already captivated by Aure’s fantastically minimalist sound – should help to build interest a little further. Eventually layering the piano with some minimalist synth sounds, the climax of the number feels as if it’s about to grow into something grand, only to fade into silence a short while after. Sounding like a cross between Jane Birkin and the lo-fi sounds of Avery Lynch, this is an unassuming single that is actually rather wonderful.
From its opening chords which ring out with intent, ‘Years and Miles’, the current single from Road To Arizona, promises something with a big heart. As the drums crash in, the main riff does not disappoint, and this mix of Americana and AOR really soars. The verse has a rootsy undertone, but the way that’s contrasted with a harmonious chorus in the early Tyketto mould really works, bringing out the best in a very strong lead vocal. Originally recorded in 1995 and finally seeing release over thirty years on, the harmony driven track sounds like something from an old Danny Tate record with a little extra oomph, or a deep cut from Billy Falcon, and as such, is unlikely to make any kind of commercial impact in 2026, but if, at last, it reaches the ears of several keen melodic rock fans, it should be considered a great success.
On this recording, a steady beat joins a fuzzed up guitar riff, and The Astronauts drop their audience into a world of old school shoegaze coolness with immediate effect. That’s not all that ‘More Than Friends’ offers, of course; peeking between the swirling wall of sound, you’ll discover some rather bright sounding keys dropping in with an off-kilter counter melody, and far more importantly, an echoing vocal that steers this great single with a wonderful feeling of optimism. The way the voice soars creates a perfect companion for the music, while a very simple hook helps a sometimes marginal genre share something incredibly catchy. There’s not always a lot of shoegaze-centric material that has a chance of appealing to those who aren’t already fans of the style, but this track definitely has a much broader potential.
Since the release of ‘Things You Don’t Know Yet’ in 2022, Bristolian pop-rockers Adult Leisure have been a reliable source for commercially viable songs powered by huge and melodic hooks. Their current single ‘The Light You Attract’ keeps up their great streak of releases with a broad sounding and very radio friendly track that takes the energy and rhythm of contemporary indie rock and mixes that with big, reverb laden guitar lines that call back to the commercial end of 80s goth. This creates an arrangement that could’ve existed at any point over the past three decades, but would have certainly been lauded by NME after the death of Britpop. A filtered vocal places the song more within the era in which it was recorded, but even this comes with a melodic edge that feels pleasingly retro. All things combined, this leaves the listener with a three minute blast where the combination of a sharp rhythm guitar and buoyant chorus melody comes close to sounding like peak Adult Leisure, while a slightly poppier verse gives vocalist Neil Scott a little more room to stretch out. This is the sound of a band who, without ego, clearly know they’re onto something special.
Hot on the heels of ‘Ice Cold’, Canadian proggers Brass Camel are back with a new single, ‘What Are You Going To Do’. The environmentally themed track looks to the future with a concerned eye, whilst its musical arrangement very much harks back to the past. Big riffs draw from the mid 70s, and busy fills show off the band’s proggier interests, but the contrast of styles really works. A huge amount of swagger on a mid tempo arrangement owes far more to meaty sounding 70s rock and a jam band sound than complex prog, but this works brilliantly for guitarist Daniel Sveinson who locks into a great sound throughout, but also keeps a great rhythm section on their toes. Occasionally sounding like a weird hybrid of Max Webster, a half forgotten funk band and a Derek Trucks jam, this track is superb. In a world where so much music sounds too compressed, it sounds really grand too, having been afforded a great mix by the legendary Terry Brown.
‘Dolly’s Coat’ by singer-songwriter Tracey Nelson isn’t shy in showing its influences. A heavy strummed acoustic guitar and harmonica initially capture the sound of Neil Young circa ‘Comes A Time’, but the swift arrival of a hazy melody and almost psychedelic electric guitar pushes everything into Uncle Tupelo/early Wilco territory with ease. As it turns out, this sun-drenched and semi-lax backdrop is perfect for Nelson, despite possessing vocal skills that could easily be called “limited”. That’s not too much of an issue, however, since the slacker inspired approach captures a mood of its own, and the track’s very traditional sounding hook works well in its own right. Among those who loved the alt-country/indie folk sounds of the mid-late 90s, this could gain a cult following.
Delving into the dusty corners of their past, Scotland’s Fini Tribe have reissued ‘Me and My Shadow’ to promote an anthology of their work, ‘The Sheer Action of Fini Tribe 1982-87’. Within seconds, the track makes it very clear that we’re in early 80s territory with cold sounding, programmed drums and a high toned bass mixing the sounds of great post punk and arty goth. The arrival of a slightly atonal vocal takes this further into the realms of old post punk, and by the end of the first verse, fans of the style are guaranteed to love what they hear. For those who have to work a little harder to appreciate Fini Tribe’s sharp edged sounds, it’s worth sticking around for the second verse since the bass is given a warmer sound, and the keys are pushed forth in the mix, and although this doesn’t change the core melody, the slightly softer feel compliments Chris Connelly’s vocal in a way that makes the melody a little easier to appreciate. Don’t wait for the big chorus, though: this is purely about setting a repetitive mood, taking elements of ‘154’ era Wire and the coldness of goth into (then) new spaces, and everything is more about feel than long term hooks. Presented as a reminder of an often overlooked act – you’ll find precious little written about Fini Tribe compared to the reems of praise shelled out retrospectively for Joy Division, Bauhaus and even Southern Death Cult – this is very welcome.
March 2026