THE REAL GONE SINGLES BAR #102

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Welcome back to the Real Gone Singles Bar, the place where we explore some of the individual tracks that’ve landed in our inbox over the past few weeks. For our rock loving regulars, this selection offers a great track from Fen man Doug Harrison and some alternative leanings from an up and coming Scottish band. Exploring other genres, there’s a perfect slice of folk, some twisted pop, and even a slab of synth pop from a familiar figure. As always, this is just a small selection of the recent submissions and there will be many more singles shared in the near future. In the meantime, we hope you find something new to enjoy…

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SHANNON SMITH – Out Of The Shadows

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In the last quarter of 2023, a strong musical voice emerged when Shannon Smith released his debut solo single ‘Dance The Night Away’. The track’s unashamed pop hooks called back to radio fare of the 70s, and the song’s infectiously positive lyric made it a joy for the listener. It was also clear that the performer genuinely felt the infectious vibe he’d shared. This single promised great things on the road ahead, and subsequent tunes drawing from country influences and even a couple of darker lyrical themes, suggested that Shannon was keen to explore different musical avenues and not be tagged as just another adult pop artist.

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THE BRIEFS – High Society / You Can Move Me

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Back in 2000, when the rock press seemed to spend a lot of their time getting excited by debut albums from A Perfect Circle and Linkin Park, and most punk was starting to be treated like old news, The Briefs burst onto the US punk scene with their debut album ‘Hit After Hit’. Behind its ironic title, the record shared a bunch of hard edged tunes, bristling with riffs on loan from The Ruts and The Clash, along with the kind of gang vocals that drove the second wave of UK punk. They sat alongside other revival bands like Lower Class Brats and Street Dogs, but were clearly superior musicians and songwriters from the get go. Twenty plus years on, their ‘Sex Objects’ album showed off slightly bigger production values, but the band’s songwriting and musical approach had clearly held firm. With a bunch of speed driven numbers that showed influences from The Clash, Buzzcocks and Lurkers, The Briefs still shared a love for older British punk, but – from a US standpoint – some of the material shared the furious energies of The Germs. In terms of style, it was a great record.

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EMILY ZUZIK – Age + Alchemy EP

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When thinking of singer songwriters, Emily Zuzik certainly won’t be the first name that comes to most people’s minds. However, the Los Angeles based performer has had an interesting career. In addition to releasing work under her own name dating back to the early 2000’s, she’s collaborated with Moby, Enchanted Kids and several other artists. Dip into her back catalogue and you’ll find material from an artist who doesn’t want to be pigeonholed. Her 2006 release ‘You Had Me At Goodbye’, for example, features guitar driven pop-rock that would be perfect for a ‘Trouble’-era P!nk (‘Potential’), tunes that are Sheryl Crow-esque (pop-rocker ‘Subtraction’ and the country tinged ‘Breaking It Down’), light vocal jazz (‘Fascinating’) and even a number that sounds like something from the Morcheeba back catalogue (‘Stand Up Stand Out’). …And yet, Zuzik’s strong vocal presence is such that the material never feels like a musical grab-bag. The album is the work of a performer who not only appears to have sucked up a world of influences like a sponge, but also clearly believes in their art.

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THE INCITERS – Bring Back The Weekend / If I Could Only Be Sure

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Over the years, American band The Inciters have delivered a great blend of northern soul and rocking sounds in a package that’s pretty much guaranteed to get their audience jumping. Their ‘Boot N Soul’ single from 2023 was a perfect example of their retro heart beating furiously, and its parent album ‘Bring Back The Weekend’ showed how the band were not just about quality, but also consistency. Within that thirty five minutes, the musicians worked their way through self penned soul bangers, twangy rock numbers with a retro flair, and even a couple of retro pop infused numbers that lent themselves brilliantly to a horn section, each with equal greatness. It was one of those albums that, no matter where you dropped the needle, a good time was guaranteed.

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