This visit to the Singles Bar is big on variety. New country sounds meet with a late 50s tribute; contemporary goths take a surprisingly catchy turn, while a well loved track is redressed in a strikingly new way, and a cult act share a perfectly arranged, 90s inspired workout that’s as good an advert as any for their current retrospective disc. With the eight picks exploring a genuinely broad mix of styles and genres, we hope – as always – you find something new to enjoy.
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‘Bye Bye Land’, the final pre-release single from Then Comes Silence’s upcoming album ‘Requiem Ballroom’, reaches for the basics when it comes to creating something memorable. Not only do the heavily strummed guitar riffs lean into some easily identifiable 80s goth sounds, but in terms of a chorus, this number opts for the ultimate earworm when sharing a very simple and repetitive “na na na” as the main hook. Those elements ensure ‘Bye Bye Land’ hits upon a winning formula, but there are a few other cool traits present that capture a little more of the Swedish act’s signature sound. There’s a heavily filtered/affected vocal which lends the piece an extra layer of atmosphere, but perhaps more importantly, the latter part of the track introduces a much heavier riff which taps into something just as classic while bringing more of a contemporary edge. All things considered, this is a track that long time fans will love, but should also impress those encountering Then Comes Silence for the very first time. An absolutely superb recording.
‘Here Comes Trouble’ by Angela Tini is a retro banger in every respect. Opening with a brass led hook that closely resembles the bassline from Ricky Nelson’s cover of ‘Summertime’, it wastes no time in flaunting an old fashioned heart. Then, launching into the verse, Angela shares a huge vocal that owes as much to the past. Her jazzy style works a deep tone that’s as much about genuine sass as melodic charm, and when reaching the more dramatic style required for the chorus, the performer unleashes a huge flurry of crying tones that blend 50s jazz tinged charms with the pure power of early rock ‘n’ roll. Fans of the style should be more than sold on this number in approximately a minute, but Angela is actually in danger of being upstaged by a killer sax break that shares something almost as exciting. Musical fashions change; the decades fly by, but this is the kind of track that proves that classic sounds never go completely out of style – and when handled this well, old school melodies can still serve up the biggest of treats. [Angela’s album of the same name has been available via Bandcamp for a while now, but the new promotion of this single should be enough to encourage those who’ve missed it to take a listen.]
Hot on the heels of their Anchoress remix, Martyrs are back with a brand new track of their own. ‘Grey Wolf Grey’ is steeped in a love of alternative 80s sounds, seamlessly blending post punk, indie and light goth in a way that allows a soaring vocal to take centre stage. The lighter approach to the vocal makes this sound quite different to some of the band’s prior works, but it’s certainly no less appealing. The way the guitar blends into a blanket of keys gives the arrangement a great sense of atmosphere at times, but if anything wins out, its the number’s busy drum part. From the outset, a combination of bass drum and hi-hat sets a frantic rhythm in place, and the way this contrasts with a swooning melody from the vocal really shows how Martyrs are capable of thinking outside of the box. In their own words, the end result sounds nothing else in their catalogue, but also sounds nothing like they expected when the writing process began. This is a good thing; it not only shows a band keen not to be pigeonholed, but also sounds like the work of musicians who will likely deliver even more unexpected treats in the future.
Armed with a solid drum part and busy rhythm guitar part, ‘Viva La Underdog’ by veteran power poppers Micko & The Mellotronics has an instantly classic feel. Playing like something from the ‘Modern Life’ era Blur wedged through a late 70s XTC influenced prism, the track shares a brilliantly bouncy arrangement and a lyric that celebrates everyone getting their moment to shine. As with prior Micko works, the very natural, slightly accented vocal might split opinion, but this is a single that’s so classic sounding on a musical level, it really works on its own merits. If the chorus hook doesn’t grab you straight away, the slightly sinister sounding musical bridge where a prominent bass is joined by wonky sounding carny-like melodies certainly will.
Absolutely loaded with fuzzy guitars, ‘I’m Not Stupid Anymore’ by Ravenistic has a superb energy. From the opening bars, the semi lo-fi approach creates a genuine buzz, and the way a less than melodic riff is paired with a very clean sounding vocal sets a great contrast in place. It doesn’t take long before the number’s lovingly retro style feels rather exciting in a very nostalgic way, and a couple of listens should be enough to make a simple, harmony driven chorus stick. This is very much the kind of recording that would’ve found a home on the Rum Bar Records label if Ravenistic were from Boston or the anywhere within the surrounding neighbourhood… It mightn’t be as catchy as their earlier ‘Never The Same Again’ – one of the great underground tracks of 2025 – but for those already in the know, this will mark a welcome return for the Aussie garage rock/bubblegum punk act.
As part of the promotion for their excellent ‘Stars’ compilation, in conjunction with Big Stir Records, The Morning Line have shared the newly remixed ‘Jet Set Stars’ as a digital single. With influences from The Connells and Toad The Wet Sprocket powering a great sound, this track is a brilliant throwback to the 90s, with some fine harmonies propping up a simple but effective hook. The quiet opening verse sharing crisp sounding guitar against an emotive vocal sets the band’s classic, slightly retro sound in place with a genuine ease, making it perfect for the first time listener. After bringing in a few rockier elements, Brian Mello, Stephen Smith and company explore a near perfect, radio friendly sound which reworks 90s sounds for a 00’s audience. The music is great, but what really sells this track is the band’s extensive use of harmony vocals, sounding wonderful throughout. A couple of spins of this track will be more than enough to convince fans of the style to investigate the filler-free compilation disc.
The crackle of vinyl and the bell-like sounds of a sparse keyboard melody used to open Grayson Turner’s ‘Ten And Two’ helps to set a great atmosphere in place. Despite feeling like the kind of track that’s going to be laid back and reflective, it soon twists into a full bodied country rocker that’s big on heart and bigger on narrative. Against a hard drum sound, Turner drops a heavily strummed guitar riff, under which a crying lead provides a slightly uneasy edge. Joining a very solid sound, a lyric questioning wrong turns taken, a girl left behind, and whether it is worth crashing and burning just to feel “alive” hit the listener in a way that feels frighteningly human, while faster rhythms really allow Grayson to deliver a great vocal. None of this is likely to appeal to the country-hater, but there’s little doubt that ‘Ten And Two’ is a fantastically arranged number.
Last up, here’s something very familiar presented in a pleasing new arrangement. Shlomi Syboni’s version of The Doors’ ‘People Are Strange’ first appeared online back in 2023, but is being given a new push directly by the artist. One listen, and it should be clear why this cover shouldn’t be left to slip through the cracks again. Rebuilding almost everything from the ground up, Shlomi gives the bulk of the number a rockier feel, and by opening with a reverbed guitar set against a pulsebeat, it’s immediately clear that the music has taken a dramatic turn. When hitting a chorus now driven by chopping guitar and instrumental bridges that mix bits of 80s goth with a quirkier pop-rock edge, the arrangement becomes even more bold, and by replacing a retro sounding solo with some almost ghostly keys, even the most basic elements of this much-loved number have been rethought on a musical level. Clinging onto something approximating the original vocal melody ensures that everything still remains recognisable and very accessible, making it a very smart interpretation of a genuine classic. There’s so much going on here that the end result sounds so much longer than the famous original cut, too… These changes mightn’t appeal to everyone, but the fact that this musician hasn’t just taken the Echo & The Bunnymen route of playing the track almost verbatim should definitely be applauded.
October 2026