Welcome back to the Real Gone Singles Bar, the place where we explore some of the best individual tracks to land in our inbox over the past few weeks. This time around, we’re thrilled to share a long overdue return from a power pop legend, a well crafted number from a new name in retro pop, a perfect slab of soul getting a timely re-promotion, a perfectly formed and very melodic instrumental track, and more besides. As always, we hope you find something new to enjoy.
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Blending alternative rock and dream pop, Deardarkhead whip up a superb sound on ‘Letting Go’. Building from a solid bassline, the number takes a mid tempo groove and layers that with a soaring guitar that shares a very lyrical sounding melody. The lead guitar tone is beautiful, bringing a pinch of very commercial goth to an already great sound. The music here is so strong that a vocal really isn’t missed, despite Deardarkhead sharing something that would typically find space for a spacey, studio treated voice to bring an extra layer of atmosphere. In and out in a little over three minutes, this single relies on absolutely no padding, and as the last notes fade, you might feel a definite urge to hit the repeat button… An absolutely stunning track.
Off the back of a couple of rockier singles, Canada’s Lonely Little Kitsch take a very melodic turn with ‘Somewhere Else’. The core of prominent bass and retro guitar twang sets up a sound that feels almost cinematic, and that allows a huge, wordless vocal to bring an even bigger feeling of power. It sounds like nothing else in the band’s catalogue, but once Kristen Goetz’s main vocal arrives to add a smoother feel, this settles into something that feels pleasingly grand. Working through a swaggering riff, the verse hints at something a little tougher without drawing away too much from one of Kristen’s best performances, and hitting the chorus, her choice of lighter tones and higher registers lends the track a more commercial feel. On first listen, it’s likely to be the wordless vocals and heavy toms that stick, but ‘Somewhere Else’ is a melodic rocker that truly rewards over time.
At the end of May, MV Wells released their ‘Le Dauphin’ long player, a lush, sophisticated pop record which channelled great sounds from the past. Touted as one of it’s key tracks, the brilliant ‘Dreaming About You’ begins slowly, pitching smooth vocals against gradually swelling orchestration. After a minute or so, the number springs into life with a mid tempo drum line and a wealth of electric piano sounds that bring back memories of The Silver Seas’ fantastic ‘Chateau Revenge’ LP. Adding more of a soul influence to the retro pop allows for the vocal to glide across a great melody with a silky feel, up until the tempo increases, bringing an upbeat AM radio sound to the fore. As the last notes fade, it leaves the listener with the feeling of having heard something special, ready to dig more deeply into the parent album.
King Black Acid are a band who’ve never stood still, musically speaking. They’ve recorded huge sounding tunes that fuse prog rock grandness with Americana undertones, they’ve contributed a droning piece to a Bowie tribute, and even lent their talents to a sprawling album recorded with The Crystal Unicorn that mixed psych influences with power pop, occasionally taking a Flaming Lips-esque turn. Their current single, ‘Dialing 911’ takes another twist when mixing busy rhythms and chopping guitars, creating something that sounds like it could’ve been spawned at the Eels sessions for ‘Souljacker’. Distorted vocals dart between sharp drums; blasts of keys bring a quirky edge; crisp sounding electric guitars occasionally pierce through the relentless groove. It’s rare that KBA deliver tunes you could actually dance to, but ‘Dialing 911’ offers such a proposition, taking the sounds of Daniel Riddle and company somewhere unexpected, delivering the kind of single that might just expand their audience. [Warning: video contains flashing images.]
An indigenous performer from Canada’s Whitefish Lake First Nation, Tammy Rae unveils a great slice of soul with ‘Stay’. Opening with voice set against a hushed piano, Tammy forces the listener to pay close attention immediately. Bringing in a quiet drum, the rhythm builds slowly and, with that, the vocal rises gently to introduce more of a cry. By the end of the second verse, those into the sound will love it, but from there, things improve further still. At the song’s peak, the arrival of a harder rhythm and gospel-tinged backing vocals transform the tune into something that sounds pretty much timeless. What’s obvious here is how natural Tammy sounds throughout – using her voice very emotively, but without huge volume or any kind of force. Bringing the melody back to its quiet origins for mellow sounding closure, there’s a feeling of everything moving full circle here, and despite a rather abrupt end, it’s hard to imagine any soul lovers feeling in any way disappointed. [‘Stay’ first appeared online in the summer of ’25, but is being given a big push for 2026.]
Following an atmosphere building intro where ringing guitars gradually build a layer of sound, Fervents explode into life via a world of crashy drums and rough hewn, chugging riffs. That noisier aspect isn’t the best feature of their current single ‘Broken Homes’, though; that would be the slightly more restrained moments where a punchy bass underscores some cleaner guitar sounds, adding more of an arty flair to an already superb post-punk sound. The whole track appears to pull between these three different moods, each one showing a slightly different side to the band’s talents, yet still allowing this track to flow very naturally. With a world of shouty vocals linking some superb riffs, this is a performance that has a near perfect sense of force, yet without needless anger. It’s definitely a track that’ll make fans of the style take note.
A highlight from their recently released ‘Alone’ LP, Denver’s Neo Dimes sound superb on their current single ‘Trigger’. From the outset, the track sets a busy, mechanical rhythm in place, making great use of a extended intro to build an atmosphere via muted sounds. Then, pushing the beats to the fore, the number takes a danceable approach to a world of darkwave synths and light industrial sounds, really highlighting the band’s intensity without drawing too much away from a melodic core. Clean vocals add a great sound throughout, but its when hitting those instrumental moments that Neo Dimes really shine. The vocal free passages really highlight a relentless groove and an intensity that’s set to grab the listener and never let go. In many ways, ‘Trigger’ relies on retro influences, but the sense of energy here, along with some sharp production values, helps to deliver a track that still feels vital.
It’s been five years since the world heard new music from David Myhr. However, just one listen to the breezy ‘Summer Summer Summer’ and it’ll feel like the power pop champion has never been away. The track wastes no time in flaunting its old school pop heart with chiming guitars and a choir of vocals, but following the immediate chorus hit, a classic Myhr sound emerges when David hits upon a bouncing piano line, topped with George Harrison-esque guitar stings, both of which compliment his pop vocal perfectly. Elsewhere on this short, sun-filled excursion you’ll discover perfect blasts of brass, even bigger vocals and a hefty nod to The Beach Boys. If you’re already a fan of David’s work, there are no surprises here, no musical curveballs – but what you essentially get is 100% Myhr, and it’ll feel great from the very start.
June 2026