THE REAL GONE SINGLES BAR #36

Welcome back to the Real Gone Singles Bar, the place where we explore some of the individual mp3s that have appeared in our inbox over the past few weeks. With January 2024 now firmly underway, the submissions have really taken off, and we could have filled this column three times over. That, of course, just promises more great stuff for the coming weeks! This time around, we bring you a couple of great singer songwriters, some big rock with a commercial hook, some very light pop, and even a little country courtesy of an already familiar face. As always, we hope you find something to enjoy…

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POLAR SON – Wax/Wane

Formerly known as Porshyne, Brighton’s Polar Son know their way around a riff. On Porshyne’s 2017 EP ‘Environmental Music’, those riffs took an arty, sometimes heavy path, taking in elements of Oceansize, Tool and bits of Godsticks, beneath a vocal that sometimes shared a love of Thom Yorke’s grander moments. It was the kind of release that deserved to place the band among up and coming prog/prog metal acts. Unfortunately, despite champions in a few high places, any massive traction the band deserved was cut short by a global pandemic.

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THE REAL GONE SINGLES BAR #22

Welcome back to the Real Gone Singles Bar, the place where we explore some of the individual mp3s that have landed in our inbox over the previous few weeks. As always, the amount of submissions has been staggering, and we’ve cherry picked some of our favourite tracks for your enjoyment. This time around, we’ve got a soundtrack worthy tune, some top notch power pop, a fine tribute to a Boston heroine, and more besides. We hope you find something to enjoy!

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THE REAL GONE SINGLES BAR #15

Welcome back to the Real Gone Singles Bar, the place where we explore some of the individual mp3s that have landed in our inbox over the previous few weeks. This feature has become more popular than we’d ever imagined, so it’s a genuine pleasure to bring you another round of underground cuts, oddities, and other things that deserve to be on your radar. As usual, we’ve been spoilt for choice, but here are another eight standout tracks, ranging from some very grand sounding pop-rock with a retro feel to semi-orchestral minimalism, some retro rock and another tune from a favourite band. We think this sums up the varied approach of the Singles Bar to date, and as usual, there should be something for most people to enjoy.

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HECTOR AND THE LEAVES – Flowers

Over the years, Tom Hector has shown a massive love for retro sounds on his self-financed recordings. 2016’s ‘Little Bee’ from Hector And The Leaves presented songs that had traces of Brian Wilson and other power pop singer-songwriters lurking within its melodies; the simpler ‘(interiors)’ from the following year teased with a lo-fi sound, but carried timeless influences from Nick Drake and Elliot Smith. At the heart of the material – no matter the style – there’s a man with an old soul, and that old soul ensures 2023’s ‘Flowers’ continues his DIY voyage in a similar vein.

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