This visit to the Real Gone Singles Bar sees the return of a couple of familiar names – including one that should be known to almost everyone. The choice of music, of course, should be new to most people’s ears. We’ve got a well arranged indie pop number, some fantastic sounding goth-rock, another country tune from a brand new face, and even a really strong world music offering. With tunes covering a broad spectrum of sounds, we hope you’ll find something new to enjoy!
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On his debut album ‘Shadow Work’, singer songwriter Sam Varga made the juxtaposition of angst ridden, emo-centric lyrics and radio friendly melodies appear very natural. Despite the fact the record took all of about four seconds for him to confront his audience with the revelation that he felt like he was “rotting from the inside out” and another couple before dropping an f-bomb for extra angst, the album remained very accessible. At its best, tunes like ‘Stories We Tell’ and ‘Apocalypse’ played like the natural successor to the Ryan Adams best-selling ‘Gold’; ‘Up Down’ took the poppy heart of Simple Plan’s more commercial work and transplanted it into more of a singer songwriter sphere, while the chorus of the brilliant ‘Live Up To It’ gave a confident nod to the more contemporary pop rock of Bleachers. All the while, Varga still managed to sound like his own man – a songwriter with an occasionally sharp tongue, but in possession of an even sharper ear for a great melody.
When it comes to reaching for a heartfelt sound, Noah Villeneuve isn’t holding back. His debut solo recording ‘Kneejerk’ begins slowly, presenting his rich vocal tones almost unnacompanied. Bringing in slow, acoustic strums, the melody builds, but clearly aims to draw in the audience gradually. Noah isn’t out to wow people with massive hooks, but to make them…listen – a gift that seems to be fading in this world of short attention spans.
Welcome back to the Real Gone Singles Bar, the place where we explore some of the more interesting individal tracks that have appeared in our inbox over the last few weeks. This time out, there are a couple of familiar faces, but their return visit to the SB ensures a genuine variety, genre-wise. Among other things, we’ve got a dance infused banger from a fantastic underground electronica act, a couple of country influenced tunes, and even a slab of metal that takes a rather unexpected turn! As always, we hope you find something new to enjoy.
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Every visit to the Real Gone Singles Bar promises some interesting musical treats, but this time around, we’ve featured what we believe are a couple of the year’s best tracks. We’ve got adult pop from a singer songwriter who’s previously worked with Paul Weller, some fine Americana, the return of one of the UK’s best alternative rock acts, a slice of melodic jazz funk, and more besides. Heading into the last quarter of 2025, the new music continues to be of a superb standard! As always, we hope you find something new to enjoy…
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