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 couple of weeks. This time around, we’re pleased to share some adult oriented pop-rock, new works from a couple of great singer songwriters, a slice of great power pop from Australia…and more besides. As always, we hope you find something new to enjoy!
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It hasn’t been too long since Joan As Police Woman shared a brilliantly inventive reworking of ‘Feed The Light’, and now Joan Wasser is back with a re-recorded ‘Christobel’ which shows just as much imagination applied to bring the track up to date. Stripping down the arrangement, the busy guitar lines and indie rock tones of the original cut are replaced by a looped piano riff, which instantly gives the recording more of a jazz influenced feel. Really tapping into that, Joan’s now older voice is presented with a deeper, smokier tone that now pulls an even bigger melody from the source material. A few orchestrated elements add more of a richness to a melody that’s now allowed to breathe more easily. For the long term fan, this presents a huge gulf between the source material and re-recording, but it’s so much more interesting.
Back in 2023, Aussie power poppers The Summertimes released one of the year’s best albums with ‘The Perfect Wave’. Marking a very welcome return, their current single ‘Save You Now’ offers fans (and soon to be fans) more of the same in many ways, with a track that’s absolutely loaded with ringing guitars over a solid mid tempo, creating a brilliant throwback to the early 90s. Throughout the track, shiny guitar sounds (courtesy of The Church’s Ashley Naylor) underscore a slightly rootsy sounding vocal, creating something retro but also very commercial, and a solid bassline supplied by Icehouse’s Steve Bull does some heavy lifting, but as with their earlier work, it’s an extensive use of harmony vocals that really shines here. For power pop fans everywhere, this is a genuine treat, and certainly bodes well for the band’s upcoming EP.
The quietly applied guitar riff that opens ‘unapologetic’ by Piper Connolly immediately signifies the arrival of a track with a very melodic heart, and the artist’s clear, confident vocal has a genuine power. Between these two factors, this is a single that grabs the attention immediately. However, once some solid pop-rock guitars kick in to give the number a very 90s flair, everything moves into a different league. The melodies are excellent, inviting comparisons to Michelle Branch (with extra guitars) and light pop punk (with the emphasis on pop), but a crisp production gives the music an extra edge. In and out in under three minutes, this leaves no room for filler, choosing to hit the audience directly with some superb melodic hooks and a chorus that’s bound to stick.
It takes all of two seconds before The Missprint’s ‘Bittersweet Ritual’ shakes the listener with its wantonly raucous riff. By taking the guts of classic rock and a pinch of punk and giving them a vigorous shake, the band creates something that sounds rough and ready, and yet still manages to sound pleasingly taut. The chosen vocal is a different matter: the music suggests something equally spiky, but the sounds that emerge come closer to an arrogant drawl that, in its own way, manages to be just as confronting. It won’t please everyone, but the feeling of rawness it helps to build cannot be underestimated. This track really comes into its own, however, by the mid point once the riffs slow down just enough to introduce a deliberately off-kilter lead guitar break, which has the effect of making the returning vocal sound even more challenging. There’s a fine line between thrilling and ugly, and this single dances back and forth across that with absolute glee, waving two fingers as it does so.
The Spongetones continue their onslaught of stand-alone digital singles with ‘The Music At The Close’, a track that’s been touted as “a cautionary tale”. Indeed, there’s something a little sinister about the arrangement’s slower tempo and occasionally darker tones, but those already familiar with the band will still discover lots of Spongtones touchstones between the number’s hugely melodic sound and a world of harmonies that call back to a power pop past. With everything seemingly more Idle Race-esque than Jellyfish obsessed, this is retro in the extreme, but fans will love it.
Mixing heavy synth tones with a pop aesthetic, ‘Rise Above’ by Madeleine Sayce starts with a grandiose sound, but then takes an unexpected dog-leg into genre-bending territory where dance oriented drum loops busy themselves beneath sharp piano riffs that owe more to late night listening and wine bar jazz, setting up a superb contrast. It’s a busy arrangement, but one that works well beneath a crystal clear vocal, where Sayce blends the world of adult pop with R&B flawlessly, allowing her strong presence to really soar. Although ‘Rise Above’ is more about great sounds than immediate hooks, repeated listens uncover the kind of performance that sounds even better over time.
With its combo of buzzsaw guitar tones and mechanical rhythms, ‘ICU’ wastes no time in advertising its post punk influences. The arrival of a really punchy drum part brings an extra edge, leaving no doubt of the track’s retro intents. Samuel Virgo then throws a massive curveball by contrasting a familiar arrangement with a slightly arty, semi spoken vocal that owes more to Massive Attack and Tricky than XTC or ‘154’ era Wire. It’s a blend that works, carried over from prior Virgo recordings, but still bringing a fresh feel to two different familiar elements. This builds a great tension throughout three minutes. What this single doesn’t offer, however, are any immediate hooks; time is very much needed for everything to settle in. Despite this, it’s a pleasingly bold move and should introduce the artist to new ears.
Following last year’s excellent ‘M.I.A. Vol. 1’ album, prog rock/progressive pop duo Chimpan A have returned with the catchy ‘Eye For An Eye’. The track dispenses with pretty much all of Robert Reed and Steve Balsamo’s proggier tendencies and goes deep into a world of adult pop. The arrangement comes with a 90s sheen, recognisable as the Chimpan A from before, but combines that with strong soul influence which, delivered at an unwavering mid tempo, sets a sultry mood in place. This really suits Balsamo’s smokier vocal style, which is offset brilliantly by rousing female vocals that really accentuate the soul sound that drives the track. …And for the older rock fans, there’s also a guest spot from one time Amen Corner man Andy Fairweather-Low, adding further to a vintage feel. There’s a lot to like here, and if it’s a signifier of things to come, fans will have plenty to look forward to.
August/September 2026