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 out, we bring you a great singer songwriter, some post punk riffs with a gothy twist, a very entertaining piece of retro pop…and more besides. As always, we hope you find something new to enjoy!
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Hot on the heels of her excellent cover of Springsteen’s ‘I’m On Fire’, Laura Silverstone has returned with the wonderfully low-key ‘Say It To Me Now’. The number, solely driven by voice and guitar, gives Laura nothing to hide behind; this is pure and raw, a stripped back, personal number that delights in presenting a huge contrast between its first half’s reflective tone featuring a voice loaded with sadness, before everything rises to allow for a Melissa Etheridge-esque cry, showcasing the extremes found within a great talent. Things may be minimalist on a musical level, but this has been recorded in such a way that the acoustic guitar bristles with life throughout: from the darker opening chords – which have a hint of Chris Cornell’s solo acoustic recordings at their heart – through to the stronger melodies that fill out the rest of the number, Laura’s playing is terrific. Those who find a love for this recording will really connect with it.
In July 2026, Scaled Alps released ‘Let The Alpine Play’, an album full of short, slightly arty songs that straddled various musical styles to create something interesting. The focus track, ‘Celestial Sighs’ provides a decent insight into the rest of the material by dropping the listener into a mid tempo arrangement driven by deep piano grooves and even deeper vocals, falling somewhere between Tindersticks and late period Talk Talk, steering the musical blend somewhere via the imaginary bands from the world of Stephin Merritt. This lacks the jazz guitar and busier/harder edged elements present on some of the Alps’ other songs, but the piano work here is especially lovely, and when that meshes with such a rich vocal, Scaled Alps really come into their own despite not aiming for a mainstream hit.
Contrasting a classic sounding, 60s inspired garage rock riff with a harder beat, ‘Play and Share’ from Aussie band Heir To The Squandered Millions wastes no time in advertising its retro intents. However, by contrasting a blast from the past with a punchier bass tone and the kind of groove you’d expect from a slice of 90s power pop, this is a single that sounds anything but dated. That feeling is amplified by the time a slightly sassy vocal takes centre stage; there’s a buoyancy here and a sharpness that really lifts a tried and tested sound in such a way that everything really sparkles. It’ll take a couple of spins before everything clicks, but once it does, there’s so much to love…and it sounds fabulous on headphones.
Sixteen years after the release of his last solo record, Duncan Maitland has returned with the buoyant and brilliantly sugary ‘Dummy’. Despite being steered by slightly distorted vocals, the whole track latches onto various power pop tropes to create something that feels almost timeless. There’s a core melody that pulls influence straight from the sharp pop of 10cc’s 70s peak, chiming guitars that sound like a distant relation to Robyn Hitchcock works and, best of all, a world of bright piano melodies that fill an instrumental break, reaching for the ultimate in retro pop. Throw in a bunch of multi-layered vocals and some very effective group vocals on a simple hook, and you have a great track that leaves nothing to chance. Genre fans will absolutely love this.
The off-kilter rhythm that kicks off ‘Perfect! Thank You!’ by Holsman is an immediate ear catcher. The way a pointed bassline darts between hard drum sounds borrows heavily from great post-punk, but the arrival of quirkier vocals suggests this will also draw from a different set of influences. And sure enough, once faster, almost punkier elements take centre stage, there’s a blend of contemporary punk and emo that sounds almost as sharp. Not that the spikier influences are completely lost: the band reintroduce them for the second verse, setting up a push and pull between the two styles that seems almost as frantic as the riffs themselves. Occupying a space between classic post punk, smart emo, and angular alt rock, this is a single that’s never less than interesting, and at its best, it could be really thrilling. It’ll take a little time to work its magic, but there’s definitely something here that’s rather interesting.
In 2024, Swedish alt-rock band Then Comes Silence released a couple of very impressive singles. They’ve returned with a track that’s even stronger. Even before the vocals kick in, ‘Judgement Day’ flaunts a superb melody where punchy 80s keys are offset by swirling guitar sounds, mixing dark pop with post punk and classic synth-goth elements. The music sells the track on its own – particularly once the riffs speed up to fill a much busier chorus, and a lead guitar shares a Cult-ish tone – but the vocals are also absolutely terrific this time out. In a perfect fit with the melody, frontman Alex Svenson adopts a tone that more than occasionally seems to channel peak Ian McCulloch, further giving the Then Comes Silence sound a classic feel that’s likely to be a hit with the “maturer” fan. With The Mission’s Wayne Hussey and Dani from Cradle of Filth already among the band’s supporters, Then Comes Silence’s future is looking increasingly bright.
Not holding back, Strange Company hit hard with a massive riff at the heart of ‘Do You Feel Numb?’ taking on a stance that blends post rock with a melodic punk spirit. This drives the track forward with a great sense of weight, but without ever becoming dense. To give the track a sense of balance, a few keys and programmed loops hint at a love of early Linkin Park, and a groove laden, harmony focused chorus blends the heavy sound with a bigger, catchier melody that really brings out the best in this band’s varied sound. Lovers of contemporary alternative rock should take to this in a heartbeat.
Last up, metalcore band Vespera have returned after a five year hiatus. Instead of trying to break back into the metal scene with a brand new offering, they’ve chosen to re-promote an older number to attract new fans. This is a smart move, since ‘Sleepless’ (originally issued in 2018 and their most streamed track) is a genuine banger. It really benefits from a strong melody, as opposed to opting for full scale heaviness and constant pneumatics, as per so much metalcore. This comes through instantly when a clean toned guitar weaves a circular riff behind a heavy chug, but for those more interested in the heaviness, those dirtier guitars soon settle into something that falls between a metalcore groove and a prog metal riff with a hint of Tool. This suits both a clean vocal – which also fills a great chorus – and a full on roar, helping to form a track that feels a little unsettled in places, but is never less than great. By mixing metalcore and prog metal in this way, Vespera immediately sound more complex and interesting than their would-be peers. If this happens to be your introduction to their work, it’s almost guaranteed you’ll be keen to hear more.
August 2026
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