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 bring you an unheard offering from the most cult of shoegaze bands, a track with post punk leanings, a couple of tunes with a huge 90s influence, something with a guest spot from Elvis Costello…and more besides. As always, we hope you find something new to enjoy!
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Just a few weeks after letting their ‘Black Girl’ single into the wild, legendary shoegazers The Veldt are back with ‘Morning, June and Yesterday’, a recording that probably couldn’t sound any different from its predecessor if it tried. Dispensing with the dream like qualities, this number focuses on rigid beats and a floating vocal for an unsettling atmosphere, all the while, a lurking guitar drone brings something more traditionally Veldt. No matter which tones and shapes the guitar throws in the diection of the audience, though, it’s everything else that really works here, from Daniel’s soulful vocal through to an unexpected interlude where the beats take on more of a world music aesthetic, adding something that feels north African/Arabic to the band’s sound. Despite being recorded in 2007, this previously unheard track has weathered the intervening years brilliantly.
‘What You Didn’t Say’ – the current single from Erinn Allisa – has a distinctly 90s feel. Its mix of acoustic and electric sounds, delivering a solid rootsy pop-rock melody, has definite links with Sheryl Crow and similar artists. Scratch below the surface, however, and you’ll discover an artist with her own set of talents and an absolutely captivating vocal presence – someone who would have been an absolute shoo-in for the Lilith Fair festival back in the day. The way Erinn shifts the tone of this track to strong and questioning on the verse to presenting an absolute outpouring of emotion at the climax creates a great listen throughout, whilst the session band – featuring Jenn Oberle (whose credits include work with Sarah McLachlan and Meredith Brooks) and the legendary Denny Fongheiser, who’ll be known to many for his work on Heart’s ‘The Road Home’ – put in some serious hard yards to sell a great tune. This might not be strikingly original, but it’s certainly a track that really hits the listener where it counts.
Armed with a ragged guitar and a melody that sounds like it wants to slip into Lou Reed’s ‘Sweet Jane’ at any moment, then slipping by a Springsteen-ish melody, Hector Gannet’s ‘The Mother Tongue’ starts promisingly. It eventually arrives at a punchy pop rock arrangement that has just enough bite to compliment a slightly drawling vocal, continuing to draw the ear further. Then, just at the point where this sounds as if it’ll be an acquired taste – or only loved by those who love the ragged and retro – a jubilant chorus lifts everything considerably in terms of melody with an unexpected compliment of horns. This has the effect of hitting like a ray of musical sunshine, giving the track a feel good vibe that’ll be enough to make a broader audience connect with what’s ultimately a great melody. With its combination of strong, narrative driven lyrics and brilliantly brassy hooks, this is a single that, over time, could become a cult favourite.
The huge, grumbling bass that opens ‘Liqorice’ makes no secret of Bone-Idle’s 90s fixations. However, the way the Reading based band choose to offset such an angry sound with a light, almost shoegaze inflected guitar sound provides an immediate and welcome twist. Instead of dropping straight into a world of grunge/post grunge sounds, the track blends a crunch with a deep psychedelic swirl, reminiscent of ‘Gish’ era Smashing Pumpkins – only played much heavier. As things progress, the echoing guitar lines add some great, furious sounding lead, complimenting a hard edged rhythm section brilliantly, but it’s the use of clean vocals that seals the deal here, proving that these lads know how important a melodic element can be. The track probably deserved more than a one word hook, but everything else is more than powerful enough to steer this single to glory.
Herbal tea isn’t your most typical subject for a song, but Franco-British songwriter/performer Maddy Street has chosen it to deliver the core message of their current single. As it turns out, the offbeat topic is a perfect fit for an offbeat pop arrangement where programmed beats collide with fuzzy guitar riffs and a spoken/rapped vocal that shares a spiky edge and youthful energy. The music takes on a studio based vibe but still retains a rough, homespun feel which suits the voice and almost unrelenting pace very effectively. With the help of a big sounding alt-pop chorus, Maddie mixes pop, dance, rap and elements of lo-fi indie in what could be the smartest way since M.I.A. wowed critics with her ‘Kala’ album in 2007. And if that’s not enough, a really cheeky “na na na” refrain is on hand for an even easier win on a very interesting track.
Alternating chopping guitar sounds and rumbling bass grooves, there’s a hint of early, ‘Go2’ era XTC during the intro of Charming Arson’s ‘The Wednesday of My Discontent’, and the band use this slightly angular approach to bolster other parts of the track a little less obviously, but it’s when hitting more melodic tones that this single really springs to life. A howling lead guitar break is immediately striking, as are the slightly rough harmony vocals filling the bulk of the number, but if anything sticks, it’s the way that band share higher registers to flesh out the chorus, drawing away from the retro post-punkiness and leaning a little further towards strong power pop sounds. Despite a great arrangement, this isn’t exactly immediate, but those willing to invest the time will eventually discover the kind of track that will not wear thin too quickly.
Despite being thirty years into his career – both as a member of several bands and as a solo performer – Ian Prowse still isn’t what you might consider a genuine household name. However, the Merseyside hero has opened shows for Elvis Costello, and even had the bespectacled legend guest on his current single, ‘The Cleaner’. Opening with a clean chord progression and by wheeling out harmony vocals in record time, the track takes a very retro commercial stance, hinting at a great rock soul blend. And sure enough, the arrival of the drums and an increase in tempo shares a superb crossover sound, where Prowse’s rock roots sound great augmented by a full compliment of horns, and riffs that occasionally lean into Steve Cropper territory. With hints of early Dexys in the horn arrangement and a nod to the largely forgotten JoBoxers within the feelgood arrangement, this punches hard, and sounds fantastic – and that’s even without Declan book-ending each end of the performance with his immediately recognisable voice.
Following a burst of feedback, ‘Sunset Mindset’ – a recent single from Severe Girls – hits hard in terms of reawakening a powerful 90s sound. A fair bit noisier than some of the band’s other recordings, the guitars work through a crashy riff with ease, sharing an overdriven sound that takes cues from late period Husker Du and peak Sugar, offset by a vocal that eschews a typical punky style for longer more indie-centric tones. Between these two core sounds, the track has a solid foundation and a pleasingly familiar tone, but closer listening will also reveal a thoughtful lyric that brings an emo-ish quality to full on rocker. With the help of an absolutely incendiary drum part and the kind of direct hook that clicks on first listen, this is a track that won’t fail to gain a positive response from fans of the style.
July 2026