Back in 2007, singer songwriter Eugene McGuinness released ‘The Early Learnings of…’, an album that explored moody retro pop with a spooky undertone (‘Vampire Casino’), numbers centred around a hard strummed guitar and slightly distorted vocal (‘A Child Lost In Tesco’, ‘Monsters Under The Bed’), and even lo-fi works that sounded like the ghost of Brian Wilson colouring Tindersticks balladry (‘Madeleine’). His scattershot approach resulted in an album that presented a very interesting voice in the world of adult pop.
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LOWSUNDAY – Ghost Machine: Black EP
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.
Listen: Stephen McCafferty shares new track ‘Debt Collector’
In 2025, Stephen McCafferty released a string of impressive singles. The best of the bunch, ‘I Only Want To Hear Sad Songs’ shared a strong pop rock sound that hinted at a love of The Killers but added a distinctive Scottish accent, while ‘I Am The Buffalo’ took a similar sense of the melodic and added a light folky touch. ‘Rubber Glove’ leant a little further into an indie pop sound, but with the help of a buoyant melody and hooky lead guitar part, created another number that really helped to give the performer’s debut LP ‘Monsters and Lullabies’ a strong musical backbone.
SILK – Auralux
From the very beginning of their musical journey, Silk quickly gained a reputation for creating a huge wall of sound. Their love of pioneers My Bloody Valentine quickly became obvious to all, but on their early singles, this Irish shoegaze act captured enough energy and pure force to bring a classic sound to the masses in a genuinely impressive way.
THE DAMBUILDERS – Shrine 2026 / I Hope We’re Not Too Late
Back in the 90s, The Dambuilders released a string of albums that gained a cult following. With competition from the likes of Cracker, Sponge, and a wealth of other alternative bands circa 1994/5, they never hit the “big leagues”, at least in the truest sense, but they were one of those acts that really seemed to capture the essence of the US “college rock” sound. In the UK, their fifth album ‘Ruby Red’ could occasionally be spotted in London’s bargain bins, and for those who took the time to listen, it was an album that offered much to enjoy – especially for lovers of the equally undervalued Green Apple Quick Step and Mother May I.