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 out, we’ve got a couple of fine indie oriented tracks, some well crafted country rock, a genre bending number with a Spanish vocal, and more besides… As always, we hope you find something new to enjoy!
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Driven by electric piano and warbling sounds, ‘Aerolineas Mostaza’ by Mustard Service refuses to be pigeonholed. The track takes elements of indie pop, 70s AM radio pop, a pinch of yacht rock and a hint of Latin influence to create something unapologetically old school…almost to the point of being cheesy. It’s absolutely fantastic: the way the Spanish vocal jostles against the busy keys and tight rhythms creates something that feels immediately uplifting, and although this clearly isn’t aiming to be an easy or instant summer hit, it has a feel good vibe that’s running through its core that’s impossible to ignore. Much like Lola Amour’s ‘Raining In Manila’, this is absolutely bursting with strong hooks and great sounds, and even the lack of English lyric shouldn’t hamper most listeners’ enjoyment.
A sparse keyboard riff isn’t exactly what you’d expect following a brassy fanfare, but then ‘Around The World’ by Teanga Teanga isn’t exactly your run of the mill single. These contrasting elements are then followed by whispered vocals in a spoken word style and a layer of pulsing synths, 80s style, again, taking the track somewhere new. Once things settle, relatively speaking, the listener is gently submerged into a world of art pop where smooth keys are complimented by hushed vocals that sound as if they’ve been pulled from a chill out track or maybe a bit of laid back cabaret. Either way, this version of a classic Nat ‘King’ Cole number feels out of step with so many other tracks at the time of release. It owes more to The RAH Band’s ‘Clouds Across The Moon’ meeting Dubstar than anything else – and then, that unexpected comparison is slight. There’s certainly enough here to suggest this collaboration between Pamela Sue Mann and producer Paul Murphy will deliver other interesting works following this release.
The dirty bass that opens ‘Loaded Gun’ by Mancunian indie rock band The Falls (certainly not to be confused with Mancunian legends The Fall-ah, and tagged on Spotify as The Falls Band, presumably to help them stand out) is a real attention grabber. It attacks with a sense of intent that’s impressive, but also manages to be the perfect compliment to a grubby, slightly bluesy guitar, which adds an extra layer to this band’s post-garage rock approach. In contrast, a clean vocal brings a huge feeling of the melodic, and frontman Harrison Sharp certainly sounds confident in his role. A couple of listens in, and it’s likely that the more commercial aspects of this track – namely a fairly big chorus and old school lead guitar break – will have made enough of an impression for you to want to check out this band further.
Going all out for a big melody, ‘Wall of Sound’ by Our Man In The Field blends retro pop and shiny soul to brilliant effect. The way a light rhythm pushes forward without feeling intrusive sets a mellow feel in place, perfect for a warm bass and slightly wavering vocal. With the addition of some quiet backing vocals, tasteful brass and a guitar part that sounds like it would be more at home on an Americana track, this has so many classic ingredients, often sounding like a deep cut from the 70s, yet almost sounding like no-one else. This is a great example of how it’s often better to recycle a great sound flawlessly than to push too many boundaries and create something too marginal. ‘Wall of Sound’ – as hinted at by its title – is a radio classic, in the old school sense.
Also melodic, but in a very different way, ‘Laughter Life’ by Irish singer songwriter Seba Safe blends a folky aesthetic with an indie vibe. This creates something that sometimes feels a little low key, but there’s enough with regard to the performer’s natural vocal and the music’s alternative pop edges that brings the necessary spark. The way the keys flow has the effect of immediately catching the ear, and the homespun quality of the recording has a pleasingly DIY feel – the kind of thing that might inspire a few budding songwriters – and although everything takes a few plays to stick, it’s definitely an interesting single.
Right from its opening chord, presenting a fat tone and a wall of sound approach, it’s clear that Soft Science mean business on their current single ‘Spinning’. And, indeed, as the melody pushes forth, this still fresh band capture a perfect retro indie sound where the chiming guitars pull from 90s alternative and a swirling mood colourant shows off a strong shoegaze aesthetic. The shoegaze influences can be heard more strongly on the occasions that a lead guitar is allowed to briefly break through, helping form a sound that genre fans will love. The vocal, meanwhile, is a lot higher and reedier sounding than this style would normally champion, but that in itself helps this recording feel a little more distinctive. With a lot of power, but a keen ear for a melody, ‘Spinning’ deserves to put Soft Science on the radar of a lot of indie rock fans.
Singer songwriter Sheva Elliot shares a classic sound on the recent single ‘Birds of A Feather’. A steady drum line and jangling guitars waste no time in delivering a strong country rock vibe – something a busy, lead guitar is keen to reinforce by being rather heavy on the twang – and a few crying steels are also on hand to transport the listener to somewhere that feels very 90s, in an Americana sense. The arrangement is superb; it’s never particularly original, but it doesn’t have to be. It’s perfect for Sheva’s very strong vocal which straddles the space between adult pop-rock and modern country with its effortless sounding, full crying tone. Fans of the style will definitely find something to love here.
‘Colorful’ by Johnny Mafia attacks with equal amounts of punch and melody. Following a ragged intro topped by shrill keys, the track drops into a fairly tuneful verse where a garage rock mood is joined by an indie-ish vocal. For the second verse, a similar approach is augmented by an unexpected reggae bassline, and by the time the main melody comes through for a big climax, the garage rock guitars are punctuated by more new wave keys. There’s so much packed into just a couple of minutes, it’s hard not to be impressed. That would still be a waste without a decent song, of course, and helping the various influences to stick together and providing a really catchy hook, a harmony drenched chorus brings out the best in this French band’s melodic chops. Sometimes sounding like the missing link between early material from The Killers and typical outings from The Strokes, there are people who’ll absolutely love this track.
June 2026