This visit to the Singles Bar shares several interesting tracks, showcasing the variety of sounds that, arguably, are really helping the music scene to feel particularly interesting, at the mid point of 2026, amid a UK heatwave. We’ve got LGBTQ+ themed pop-rock, some great synth pop, an inspired metal cover, some absolutely superb country pop/roots rock…and more besides. As always, we hope you find something new to enjoy!
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In terms of arrangement, ‘Version of Love’ – a new single from TV Pins, released for Pride month – pushes all the right buttons. It has a great choppy melody on the verse which is contrasted by a jubilant pop infused chorus, and both aspects of the music are totally sympathetic to some very strong vocals. It takes all of one listen for the rich melodies to leave a mark, which really helps to sell a heartfelt and very important lyric challenging the bigots and regressives who feel that LGBTQ+ love should be hidden. The pre-chorus, in particular, where the protagonist asks people to “think of someone that’s not you”, offers the perfect marriage of melody and lyric, whilst elsewhere, lyrics like “I can’t help the way I was made” and how things “need a conversation that’s not laced with guilt” make their point clearly and in a way that’s inclusive, provoking thought without forcefulness. This is a fantastic pop tune, and one that showcases the entire band brilliantly.
With an incessant bounciness and the presence of more than a few 80s inspired synths, Kat Robichaud makes an instant impression on ‘Cake’, even before her slightly theatrical vocal tones give this track a much grander feel than expected. The speed oriented rhythms rarely let up, and as the track progresses, Kat’s blend of quirkiness and pop sheen pulls the listener further into her world. This is more about presenting a few striking musical choices than hooks, but with a solid production sound and a lot of energy, this mix of OMD and Lady Gaga hits hard!
A slow beat and a relentless guitar drone provide the basis for the first verse of Elephant Stone’s ‘The Fascists Killed Yer Rock N Roll’, but this relatively simple backdrop is very effective. The decidedly less than melodic sound allows a filtered vocal to sound even more striking when it appears, bringing a huge, psychedelic tone to the piece. Adding sitar sounds and a few backmasked elements, this track certainly isn’t shy when it comes to flaunting its influences, but it’s once things speed up that everything reaches its full potential. During the second half of the track, a pulsing bassline retains a huge presence under a shoegaze influenced and almost baggy-esque drum part, and by allowing the psychy vocal to drift in and out, there’s still a strong link with the moodier parts of the arrangement. A couple of listens will also uncover an unlikely lyrical hook, so in terms of hitting all the right bases, this single does a fabulous job.
The billing of Brother Bicker Band as “Maple Whiskey Rock ‘n’ Roll” sells the Calgary band rather short. ‘Chasing Ghosts’ has a hint of bar room rock ‘n’ roll, but it’s a track that’s far less spit ‘n’ sawdust than such a tag might suggest. This single comes replete with ringing guitars, a strong country pop melody, a wealth of harmony vocals and a brilliant chorus. It shares a pleasingly slick roots rock sound, played brilliantly throughout: from the jubilant intro with its hints of Marshall Crenshaw popishness, through a verse that could be an old Hootie & The Blowfish hit, and all the way into a wall of harmonies that really add to the upbeat feel, this feels good from first listen. Often playing like a melodic version of Cowboy Mouth meeting with The Connells – at least until a punchy late 60s inspired middle eight changes the mood, somewhat unexpectedly – this is country rock “done right”. An essential listen.
‘Subway’, the current single from Kansas City’s RxGhost, shares a fantastic sound. The rhythmic qualities pull straight from a world of post punk; the lighter sounding vocals owe more to 90s indie sounds, and a howling lead guitar – arguably the lynchpin of the whole track with its troubled tones – adds an element of shoegaze to a menagerie of retro sounds. It’s a mid tempo affair that relies heavily on mood, but between the layered guitars, a strong drum part and the heart of something that feels welcomely familiar from first listen, it’s a recording that really works. With this single appearing alongside bands like Wooden Overcoat and Silk, both releasing interesting new material, and the reformed Lowsunday making up for lost time, the indie/alternative scene has a lot going for it in the summer of ’26.
Earlier in 2026, singer songwriter Mitchell Young released ‘1984’, an unsettling single that questioned an uneasy world. In a complete contrast, the lovely ‘Perfect Sunday’ is a laid back number with Young sharing a quiet and reflective vocal against hard strummed acoustic guitar lines, augmented by crying lead tones. This unfussy, mid tempo arrangement is perfect for a lyric exploring a world of isolation that’s disturbed by the milkman, and the tale of a couple who are apart but constantly thinking of each other. There’s nothing that feels new here on a musical level, but the way Mitchell has arranged the track, allowing the melody to build slowly, creates a rather satisfying listen.
They might not have the most striking – or Google friendly – band name, but ‘April’ by Toy Car is an absolute belter of a track. Immediately hitting upon an old school indie groove, the number delivers very strongly in the drum department with its huge beats cutting through a wall of guitars, while those guitars fill a lot of space with a superb ringing tone and a huge amount of volume. Pitched as being a “Britpop” inspired recording, it’s easy to hear the influence from Shed Seven and early Charlatans here, while Shaun Hough’s strong and confident vocals often mirror the gravel-edged tones of The Stereophonics’ Kelly Jones. ‘April’ may well be the sum of its influences, but it’s an absolutely superb recording which deserves to put this Liverpool based act on the radars of many more people.
Last up, here’s a blast from the past, brought screaming into the present. On the eve of the release of their covers album ‘Metalmorphosis’, Triskelyon have given Pat Benatar a kick up the arse. They’ve taken her radio hit ‘Heartbreaker’ and retooled it into a metal banger, all thunderous rhythms and careening guitar solos, as if taken straight out of the metal scene of 1984. Naturally, this loses many of the original track’s more melodic aspects along the way, but has its own charm, especially in the lead guitar department where a sheer energy really helps to carry everything. Also notable is a guesting lead vocal from Amanda Jackman who manages to inject a lot of power into an already familiar melody, pretty much making the track her own. The purists will hate it!
June 2026