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 past few weeks. This time out, we’ve got a number with retro post punk leanings, a catchy piece of garage pop, a huge and jangly workout that falls between garage rock and melodic punk, something insanely heavy, and more besides… As always, we hope you find something new to enjoy.
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Following on from their excellent ‘Ghost Machine – White’ EP, post goth band Lowsunday are back with the first taste of the ‘Black’ EP, courtesy of ‘This Is Not Heaven’. Taking a much darker turn than before, the bulk of this brilliant number uses mechanical rhythms and hard beats to set a very cold atmosphere in place. The ghosts of Joy Division cannot be ignored, but this isn’t by any means a quick and easy knock-off; the addition of a heavily filtered vocal, half buried in the final mix, gives the end result a very different feel. There are also traces of A Place To Bury Strangers fleshing out the melody, but again, Lowsunday bring their own twist with a slightly more goth-tinged feel. Granted, almost everything here is indebted to the past, but when it comes to reviving retro sounds, you’d be hard pressed to find this style delivered with more passion.
Those who’ve kept a close ear on the rock underground over the past year might have heard a couple of impressive singles from Irish rockers Gather The Lost. Here’s another: ‘This Time’ opens with a wavering synth, setting a really haunting melody in place, over which vocalist Carolyn Dunne launches into a similarly spooky delivery. Countering the darkness, a world of muted guitar chords and busy rhythms take an unexpected dog-leg into a Police-like influence, before the band switch gears again to introduce a chunky, very 90s sounding alt-rock riff. It takes ‘This Time’ a long time to find its feet, but by the time the band arrive at a huge chorus, dominated by a huge vocal cry, it starts to sound like one of their more accessible numbers. Things don’t settle there: in the latter part of this epic number, the mood changes again to explore some old school melodic rock, and this proves to be the perfect backdrop for a killer lead guitar break. If you’ve connected with the band previously, you’ll love this.
Tapping into a shamelessly late 80s tone, Onra’s ‘Lap of Luxury’ was conceived as part of a soundtrack for an imaginary film. Listening to the bright synths and sharp beats, it’s easy to hear the French producer’s intentions. With a strong flowing melody in hand, it’s also easy to hear the influence of the “wine bar” smoothness of 80s soul, and this influence comes through even stronger thanks to an intermittent vocal providing an easy hook. Unfortunately, beyond a basic idea, Onra doesn’t appear to have thought any further. The melody, as strong as it initially seems, even in mellow terms, rarely deviates from the arrangement set in first couple of bars, eventually sounding flat by the track’s end several minutes later. Rather than ending up being a confident slice of late night soul, or a strong hook for a DJ mix, this ends up sounding like an extended piece of vaporwave – a sketch that has potential, but really didn’t need to be a full number. There’s an interesting idea here, but this ends up being a somewhat wasted opportunity.
On their previous singles, Premier Jester have shared a bold combination of dance beats and crushing metalcore riffs that have helped to make the UK act one of the most distinctive to break through during the first weeks of 2026. ‘Wunderbar’ continues to mine their trademark sound, but if anything, it works a much more intense riff during its heavier moments. In some ways, this could expand their fanbase by appealing to a less adventurous ear or two, but the greatness of the main riff shouldn’t be undervalued, since it absolutely crushes! Bringing an important melodic balance, a clean vocal drives a lighter, emo-inflected chorus, while the later part of this short blast puts more of a focus on a busy synth line, showcasing the crossover aspects of the Premier Jester sound. If you’ve connected with previous PJ singles, you’ll find a lot to love here.
As part of the promotion for their new LP ‘Frog For Sale’, lo-fi merchants Frog have shared ‘Je Ne Sais Pas’, an unexpectedly catchy number which really advertises the hookier end of their sound for the first time listener. Opening with a barrage of stabbed keys, the track couldn’t make its love of 70s pop more obvious, but by offsetting that with a sometimes lax vocal, the 70s vibes collide with a 90s infused sense of slackerdom, making the homespun sounds potentially more interesting. Upon hitting the chorus, though, Frog go all out in the retro pop stakes, sharing a harmonious falsetto vocal that cares not for fashion. Ending up with something that sounds like an old 10cc number recorded in a shed, this is one of Frog’s best tunes to date, really raising the bar for their DIY experiments.
Boston rockers Tell have rarely been shy of sharing music with a message, but ‘Things To Do When It’s Dark’ hits particularly hard. Blending chopping guitar riffs and rocky edges, the louder parts of the track capture the band in a fiery mood where garage rock and blues toned licks collide, but the performance is ultimately sold by a warm and funky bassline that draws influence from a very different 70s sound. Bringing the two contrasting styles together gives the track a huge amount of musical muscle, which makes up for a slightly wobbly vocal that occasionally shares an influence from Black Francis. Then again, it could be argued that any vocal-based melody isn’t that important here, it’s the message that counts, and a rather pointed hook suggesting that people will “take back power” offers a snapshot of an especially bleak US at the time of release. [This track was originally issued as a digital download at the end of 2025, but is getting a welcome re-promotion due to its bold video, which can be seen below.]
Armed with a huge jangle, ‘Forecast’ by French garage rock/pop band Gurl should make an instant impression among those who love retro sounds. With a strong riff powering the verse and some really hooky “woo woos” filling a couple of the bridge sections, its a number that aims for a straight up earworm, but by injecting a couple of punkier elements via a crashy chorus and showcasing a slightly bratty vocal with influence from Hockey Dad (a great live act), it also has enough of a punch to win over those who like their garage sounds a little busier. At the time of release, there are some great power pop and indie/punk sounds emerging from Paris, but this single places Gurl among those to keep a closer watch for, along with their label-mates Lùlù.
Last up, here’s something impressively heavy. Throughout ‘Rat Trap’, Pennsylvania’s The Last Ten Seconds of Life serve up a massive riff that fuses a hardcore crunch to a sludge metal tone, creating something that feels genuinely oppressive…and impressive. The mid tempo approach makes a very heavy riff feel heavier still, and when dropping into an even slower grind, the band explore a couple of intensive breakdowns that take a classic hardcore sound into somewhere much darker. With the intense riffs coupled with an almost demonic roar throughout, this certainly won’t be for the more casual hardcore or metal fan, and despite a couple of old school lead guitar breaks creeping in, it’s a track that offers no obvious concession to an easy melody. In four minutes, this band is set to absolutely destroy anyone who crosses their path.
April 2026