This trip to the Singles Bar promises a proper mixed bag. We’ve got indie rock, pop punk from one of Cornwall’s finest exports, some well crafted electronica with ambient undercurrents, a hugely radio friendly track from Northern Ireland, and even a guest spot from a genuine legend. And that’s just for starters! As always, we hope you find something new to enjoy…
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We’ve reached the middle of 2026 already, and for the first half of the year, submissions to our Singles Bar have been coming in fast. Naturally, there hasn’t been the time to highlight everything we’ve enjoyed from week to week, and a lot of great tracks have not made the cut. Passing these by would be an absolute tragedy, so, as is traditional at the end of June, we’ve pulled some of the “best of the rest” together for our SB Summer Special! These were picked from a staggering 230 track selection, but we feel they best capture the Singles Bar spirit. We hope you can spare the time to explore this selection of tunes, and as always, hope you find something new to enjoy. Remember: good music does not have a sell-by date!
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‘Le Dauphin’, the 2026 release from Chicago based songwriter MV Wells, feels like a record out of time. It’s richly layered songs draw from adult pop, 70s AM radio influences, the more accessible end of the Harry Nilsson catalogue, early solo Lennon, and even more contemporary fare in the vein of The Flaming Lips (at least when they’re not trying too hard to be quirky, or pitch the latest idea in their string of novelties). Its nine songs feel familiar, yet repeated listens uncover material that is ultimately far more interesting than mere pop throwbacks, and at it’s best, it’s an album that proves that good pop – despite going through many changes over the decades – will ultimately find its way back to the golden age of the late 60s and early 70s.
Lowsunday made a long overdue return with their ‘Ghost Machine – White’ EP in 2025, putting an end to approximately a quarter of a century’s radio silence. Keen to capitalise on the momentum that was quickly built off the back of that release, it would only take six months for a follow up to appear.
Welcome back to the Real Gone Singles Bar, the place where we explore some of the best individual tracks to land in our inbox over the past few weeks. This time around, we’re thrilled to share a long overdue return from a power pop legend, a well crafted number from a new name in retro pop, a perfect slab of soul getting a timely re-promotion, a perfectly formed and very melodic instrumental track, and more besides. As always, we hope you find something new to enjoy.
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