Mark Bacino’s 2010 album ‘Queens English’ saw the US singer songwriter moving away from the perfect bubblegum pop he’d shared on his earlier records, but for those willing to invest the time, it was an album rich in character. With a narrative theme concerning home and family, the material was more mature: ‘Happy’ revisited the sounds of Randy Newman; ‘Muffin’ hinted at a love of Billy Joel, and the title cut opted for something a little more direct with a pinch of 70s glam informing its sound. It was the kind of record that worked best as a whole, and yet could still be cherry-picked.
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GENTLEMEN ROGUES – Surface Noise
Since their formation, Austin’s Gentlemen Rogues have created great music that’s hugely indebted to the older college rock sound. Via a series of EPs, their very retro approach won them a loyal audience within the rock underground, and comparisons to The Replacements certainly didn’t hurt their progress. Over a decade since their humble beginnings, their 2024 release ‘Surface Noise’ finally sees the band stretching beyond their preferred short playing format with a full album’s worth of material, and it comes as a great relief that their punchy music doesn’t necessarily need to be heard in short bursts to have the greatest impact.
THE SHADOW MAJLIS – The Departure
A musical project helmed by multi-instrumentalist Ali Jafri, The Shadow Majlis’ debut album ‘The Departure’ defies easy categorisation. The material takes in elements of goth, rock, world music and even dub reggae to create a cornucopia of sound with subtle layers that offer the listener something different on each play.
Listen: Looking Glass War present a new track ‘See You In Hell, Liberty Bell’
Looking Glass War released the enjoyable ‘Where Neon Meets The Rain’ EP in 2023, introducing people to their blend of gothic rock, alternative sounds and dark pop-ish vibes. ‘See You In Hell, Liberty Bell’ marks a welcome return for the Boston band, and on this track, they sound more inspired than ever.
GURT – Satan, etc.
The arrival of ‘Satan etc.’ marks the end of a five year silence from Gurt. Within a few bars of the album’s opening track ‘The Most Dying Way To Die’, however, it’s as if the UK based riff monsters have never really been away. The perfect re-introduction to the band’s self-proclaimed “party doom” sound, the number presents the heaviness of your average Orange Goblin tune and dresses it up in spangly glam rock platform soles. By delivering a stomper of a riff that sounds like the guts of Black Sabbath playing something from the ChinnyChap universe, they’ve automatically secured their audience’s attention – and they know it, too – before the track progresses with a hugely confident air that allows a sludgy riff punctuated by great stops, and even a Rob Zombie-esque groove to derail the almost danceable moods. It doesn’t seem to matter what twists the music takes, either; every time the main glam stomp returns, it feels like the musical equivalent of the ultimate b-movie bad-ass, coming back stronger after being slapped down by the hero of the piece. The buzzing guitars are relentless with their fat melodies; the drums lock down a ferocious groove, and even a retching vocal can’t kill the feel good vibes. Gurt haven’t just returned – they’ve returned in style.