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 around, we bring you a fantastic number from a British alt-folk band, the return of some cosmic, psychy legends, a great piece of synth based material, some well crafted pop punk…and more. As always, we hope you find something new to enjoy!

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With a world of pulsing synths that hit the listener with immediate effect, LUCKYANDLOVE make no attempt at hiding their retro intents. The heart of their current single ‘Secret Is Out’ blends classic 80s synths with a similarly classic sounding gothic undertone to create something that, despite sounding like a genuine throwback to an alternative past, still sounds really invigorating when heard in the dying weeks of 2025. The synth based rhythms dominate from the outset, but the other musical flourishes here are every bit as cool, despite pulling in different directions. The wheezing sax sounds add a noir-ish tone on occasion, whilst a wealth of electronic drums help to steer everything further into the realms of the cold and mechanical. There’s also a great vocal which has occasional hints of Siouxsie Sioux and shares long flowing tones that gleefully seem at odds with the music, which really helps this track to maintain a dark, almost mysterious quality, despite being absolutely loaded with danceable beats and rhythms. Hearing everything together creates a superb homage to the early-mid 80s, making ‘Secret Is Out’ a genuine treat for electro-goth fans.

Here’s a track with a very different retro slant. The opening of Sicky’s ‘Just Me’ calls back to 60s inspired material, before making a leap into a very 90s groove. The performer’s breathy vocal initially seems to be a rather uneasy fit with the music, but this only makes the indie pop number more interesting. The arrival of the chorus brings everything together: the 60s melody sits very comfortably beneath the chopping guitar, and Sicky’s natural voice weaves between the musical elements, making the best of a devastatingly simple hook, set within a very DIY sounding arrangement. For those hoping for a little more, a middle eight where everything descends into vaguely Beck inspired spoken vocals adds a genuine quirk, but in the main, this number is chiefly concerned with selling the kind of unfussy hook that will stick.

Just six weeks after the release of ‘Knots & Crosses’, emo band TRNDS have returned with the very commercial sounding ‘Moth To A Flame’. On this track, the musicians explore even more of a pop based sound than before. Warm basslines and new wave inspired synths play a huge role in creating smooth but interesting melodies, but what really catches the ear is the arrangement itself, which feels as if it teeters on the fringes of a gentle calypso, while a mournful vocal sharing an obvious Scottish accent makes the track sound resolutely human. This is a really heartwrenching number, but it definitely shows off a mature sound with ease.

On previous singles, Von Loop have shared a sound blending various rock styles, making their work hard to categorise. The pleasingly busy ‘Aurora’ continues that trend. Throughout the track, you’ll find a shrill guitar sound that fuses garage punk riffing with an almost surf-tinged flair; a couple of heavier riffs lean into retro hard rock, while a punchy rhythm section and careening lead vocal beef up the garage rock chaos. The frantic sound can sometimes make it a little more difficult to latch onto a melodic core, but therein lies the charm: this is about pure energy, and on that score, these Northern Irish lads aren’t about to sell their audience short.

Billing the track as “pop punk with brains”, Northern Ireland’s Mucksavage serve up some great riffs on ‘Letdown’. The verses are powered by a punchy bassline typical of the genre, and the chorus flaunts some great harmonies befitting of the scene’s late 90s giants, but moving further away from the source, a really crisp twin lead sound adds a strong indie rock melody. Everything’s great even before a punchy middle eight teases with an arty time signature, and before the band twists everything to make a really fat bass sound the main feature. For those hoping to hear something that feels a touch more traditional, genre-wise, a buoyant vocal helps to tie everything more effectively to a classic pop punk sound, but even this comes with a twist when the band allow their very strong Belfast accents to cut through. Brilliantly arranged and well produced, it’s clear that these lads are a really tight musical unit. This is the kind of single that’ll make Mucksavage stand out, and worth keeping an ear for in ’26.

The Paper Kites’ earlier single ‘When The Lavender Blooms’ was a near perfect slice of Americana. With its slow tempo, ‘Shake Off The Rain’ isn’t quite as immediate, but in terms of setting a mood, it certainly plays very naturally. The opening bars set a very gentle rhythm in place and the combination of hard strummed acoustic guitar and deeper, rootsy sounds creates a great atmosphere. The overall mood rarely changes throughout the next four minutes, le0aving the lead vocal to do a lot of heavy lifting. With a lighter tone but sharing almost mournful delivery, that voice adds a huge amount of melody to the downbeat track and Sam Bentley sounds amazing. Although this number doesn’t advertise the Kites’ upcoming album (due early 2026) in the most obviously exciting way, this is a piece of indie folk that really suits a late night listen, and likely to become a favourite with fans over time.

Stretching out over six minutes, ‘Tamlin & Joan’, the current single from Bath based folk act Humm values atmosphere over commerciality. In fact, it has such an old heart, that the opening notes may even have the potential to remind some listeners of works by Nic Jones and Incredible String Band. As the acoustic melody grows, it summons the ghosts of Nick Drake’s peerless ‘Five Leaves Left’ (the fingerpicked elements and light drones very much call back to the brilliant ‘Cello Song’), but there’s more at stake here than mere homage. A haunting vocal from Carys Lewin brings a far more distinctive edge, with a performance that gradually rises from ethereal tones to a full on cry, and when joined by a folky, almost spoken counterpoint from Arty Jackson, the traditional folk elements have even more character. Between the quieter moments, this track explodes into a world of folk rock, where the past glories of John Martyn meet with the more contemporary work of Bon Iver, creating a grand work that will provide many with a fantastic entry point into this band’s world of sound.

Last up, the mighty Gong have returned with ‘Stars In Heaven’, a surprisingly melodic track previewing ‘Bright Spirit’, the follow up album to 2023’s ‘Unending Ascending’. Following a couple of backmasked sounds, this track springs into life with the help of trippy guitar work and a mid tempo, almost hazy melody that falls somewhere between the mellower elements of classic Floyd and the most accessible elements of Ozric Tentacles. The bright sounding guitar lines constantly draw the ear, echoing bits of the band’s first post-Daevid Allen work ‘I See You’, while the multi-talented Kavus Torabi (Knifeworld/The Utopia Strong) adds a distinctive and slightly gruff vocal that accentuates the modern incarnation of Gong’s stranger qualities. A wall of harmony vocals allows parts of the number to lean further into a classic prog sound, while an off-kilter melody arriving at around the two and a half minute mark provides a very obvious homage to the band’s past works, as well as leaning towards something from (sometime Gong guitarist) Steve Hillage’s classic ‘L’ album. No matter how many years pass and how many musicians pass through the band’s ranks, there’s always something that captures the Gong “spirit”, and ‘Stars’ shows that off rather well.

November 2025