Throughout the first half of 2025, Scottish singer songwriter Stephen McCafferty has released a run of excellent singles, and here’s another. ‘I Only Want To Hear Sad Songs’ features a distinctive voice, but otherwise sounds very different from his rocky ‘Rubber Glove’.
MAX RAEL – The Enemy Is Us
Barely three lines into the opening number of his solo debut, experimental musician Max Rael has already embraced differences not being like anyone else and told his audience he feels exhausted. The frankness in which the artist’s neuro divergence is discussed throughout ‘Slightly Less Than Human’ is a signifier of the album’s honest approach as a whole. ‘We Are The Enemy’ isn’t so much a collection of songs; more a world of personal statements, shared with a heart and disarming honesty, but also with the hope that Rael will attract kindred spirits. Obviously, this doesn’t aim for a broad commercial potential, but as albums go, it’s never less than interesting.
CHIMPAN A – Saviour / Wichita Lineman
In April 2025, pop proggers Chimpan A (featuring Magenta’s Robert Reed and an assortment of musical friends) released a superb version of Peter Gabriel’s ‘Here Comes The Flood’. It managed to be reverential of the original recording whilst bringing a new slant via a modern production sound, and also shared a downtempo feel that felt half a world away from the ex-Genesis man’s musical interests. Coupled with the self-penned ‘Wolves’, the release marked a great return for the band after a few years away. This second two track release follows the same format – a Chimpan A original, joined by a well known tune sourced from the band’s many influences – and achieves a similarly impressive result.
Check out the new video clip from Dotsun Moon
In June 2025, one man band Dotsun Moon released their third album, ‘Tiger’. Coming almost a decade after the previous Dotsun Moon album, you certainly couldn’t call multi-instrumentalist Richard Flierl prolific, but the record was certainly worth the wait. A clutch of pre-release singles suggested it would be a strong album, but those tracks didn’t quite capture the fullness of how great ‘Tiger’ would be. What’s more, those singles actually sounded even stronger when heard as part of the bigger picture.
THE REAL GONE SINGLES BAR #114
Welcome back to the Real Gone Singles Bar, the place where we explore some of the individual tracks that have been sent our way over the past few weeks. This selection is another genuinely mixed bag, sharing – amongst other things – a country track, a dance number, a perfect homage to 90s shoegaze, and a tune from an up and coming rock band featuring a huge vocal. As always, we hope you find something new to enjoy.
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