The Others - Met You In A Bar

Image courtesy of the band

London’s 00s pioneers The Others returned recently with their new single ‘Met You In A Bar’. It’s the lead single from their upcoming sixth studio album ‘When In Doubt’.

Their first official single in fourteen years serves as a bridge from their first two albums to their later eight-piece renaissance. The guitars and drums fire with the punk-rock roar of the Buzzcocks, whilst the Hammond organ lures in mod instincts of The Charlatans and the rabid early power of The Stranglers.

Frontman Dominic Masters' vocals remain as potent, spitting disdain and hurling venom as he regales a toxic relationship. His vocals and the aggressive Steve Diggle fuzz in the verses eventually give way to a Mark Collins-esque solo (The Charlatans) that melts away the bitterness.

Where once they would have kept their feet on the throat and gone out in a blaze of intense glory, now, a divine musicianship is elevating their ability to cause riots. 2026 is shaping up to be their year on this showing.

The Others · Met You In A Bar (Single Edit)

Click the image below for tickets to their upcoming gig:

James Walsh - It’s All Happening

Image Credit: Barnaby Fairley

Starsailor frontman James Walsh releases his new studio album ‘It’s All Happening’ on January 31st. The album was written, recorded, and produced entirely by Walsh.

Walsh’s songwriting, although more thoughtful than most even in his Starsailor days, adopts a more wisened stance throughout. On ‘I Can’t Stop Myself From Lovin’ You’, he reflects upon those insecure days of a new relationship when imposter syndrome is rife. ‘Moving Target’ sees a lost and anguished soul steady themselves in the mire and take solace in the thought that “nothing better in this life than you and I” when dwelling on their partner. Whereas, on ‘Shadows’ Walsh digs into mental struggles. As he decrees, “fight another lion in my head”, souls will stop dead in their tracks. His voice is utterly haunting. Walsh, a master storyteller, though, leads you back to the light (“it’s getting brighter further up the road”), but with a quiet, reserved vocal to signify that life will never be the same.

Sonically, Walsh’s stripped-back approach and his ease at a higher-pitched vocal recall Bon Iver’s debut album at several points. The aforementioned ‘I Can’t Stop Myself From Lovin’ You’ leans into Justin Vernon’s ability to make an acoustic guitar and gentle vocals embrace a hymnal quality as he ushers his flock from dark to light. ‘Coney Island’ offers up Walsh’s best vocal of the album. His full array of pitch and tone, coupled with Vernon’s mystical, light-touch production, lights up this nostalgic story.

‘Poole’s Cavern’, whilst an ode to rural escape in Derbyshire, lyrically serves up heart-shattering grief:

“part of me died / so I crept inside / and hid myself from view / for the rest of my life / as I cant get by / without you”

The protagonist goes on, much like Ricky Gervais’ portrayal of Tony Johnson Afterlife), breathing but not living, accepting that a live together, although too short, was still a gift:

“I'm still happy with the life we got to make / even if it ended far too soon”

Walsh continues the poignancy on ‘The Great Northwest’ as he details the sense of community that emerged in the wake of Paul Doyle’s reckless driving, which injured over 130 people. Tinged with Iron & Wine’s playing and Turin Brakes’ vocals, he displays the resiliency and affection of a city that yet again stands tall in the wake of tragedy:

“when it feels like all hope is gone / We show our faith like we’ve always done / we call on each other”

They say timing is everything, and as Trump tears the world order apart, empty-shell populists lead the polls on the left and right, Walsh’s humble, honest songwriting is the tonic to it all. He brings peace, even moments of heartache, and offers a welcome pause for thought.

Kula Shaker - Wormslayer

Kula Shaker are set to release their eighth studio album ‘Wormslayer’ on the 30th January. Released via Strange F.O.L.K Records, it follows 2024’s critically acclaimed ‘Natural Magick’.

In many ways, ‘Wormslayer’ picks up where they left off in 2024 with spiritual explorations and Beatles influences remaining prominent. ‘Dust Beneath Our Feet’ supplements the richness of The Grateful Dead with Stephen Stills’ soul-cleansing guitars (‘For What It’s Worth’). Whilst ‘Good Money’ strays from Sgt. Pepper's to Ravi Shankar to Cornershop with a playfully hazy groove. Both are enhanced by frontman Crispian Mills’ ability to fold in the bite of Lennon with his own penchant for melody. These well-trodden paths dominate proceedings for the most part.

Just another album for life-long fans?

That would be the case but for ‘Be Merciful’, ‘The Winged Boy’, and the title track ‘Wormslayer’. All are of such quality that they transcend to higher planes. ‘Be Merciful’, their latest single, a collaboration with Thom Yorke cohort Mark Pritchard, has a hauntingly cathartic feel. Mills and the backing singers bring a gospel tinge, while panoramic guitars act as liberators for souls trapped in purgatory.

‘The Winged Boy’, lights up the record with its vast science fiction landscapes. Mills’ guitars resound across galaxies like cries for help, warning signs, and at their most ecstatic, moments of heroism.

On ‘Wormslayer’, the hallmarks of all their finest moments lurk like loving psyche shadows caressing this new moment of genius. There’s a curiosity to Jay Darlington's keys and Mills’ mesmerising vocals in the early stages that only Robert Plant (and band) can match in the modern era. When they step on the power, they splice the boisterous blasts of the early Black Keys albums with their archetypal mysticism, allowing Mills’ gentler vocal to cut through and create pure magic.

Having released a run of fine albums over the past six years, it would be an understatement to say the band are in a purple patch. What Wormslayer achieves over ‘1st Congregational Church of Eternal Love and Free Hugs’ and ‘Natural Magick’ is not reinvention, but elevation. Where ‘Tattva’ and ‘Govinda’ once stood as unique high points, ‘Be Merciful’, ‘The Winged Boy’, and ‘Wormslayer’ now take their place, signalling a band not just sustaining momentum, but surpassing themselves.

Click the image below for tickets to their upcoming tour:

Cast - Yeah Yeah Yeah

Image courtesy of Fear PR

2025 was a stellar year for Cast. Be it celebrating 30 years of debut ‘All Change’ or opening for Oasis, there can be no denying the band are at something of a zenith, right now. Far from resting on their laurels, they roar into 2026 with a new album, ‘Yeah, Yeah, Yeah’.

Released later this month (30th Jan) via Scruff of the Neck Records, Cast’s 8th studio album was recorded in Spain with producer Youth (Killing Joke’s Martin Glover) at his Space Mountain studio in Spain. 

In 2024, the Liverpool icons released ‘Love is the Call’, marking their first collaboration with Glover. It marked a fine return to form, with frontman and songwriter-in-chief John Power rediscovering his touch, casting aside the fears that perhaps held back prior albums.

‘Calling Your Name’ is easily viewed as a clarion call for anyone who feels downtrodden or undervalued. With its gospel backing vocals powering the melody to a higher plane, and Power decreeing “never let them tell you if you’re wrong or right, the message is clear: chase your dreams! On ‘Way It’s Gotta Be’’ we hear Cast’s archetypal sound united with the stinging punch of Paul Weller’s underrated ‘Heavy Soul’ album.

On ‘Weight of the World’, the narrative flips, and Power’s worries are wistfully laid bare, detailing his struggles to understand the world around him. Vocally, he effortlessly ebbs from defiant to distressed, whilst guitars build wave upon wave of pressure that feel as though they could blow at any time. The chasm between melody and anxiety, especially while Power sings “why do I always feel the weight of the world,” summons a career-best vocal, capturing a struggle - perhaps creative, perhaps more serious - of wanting to give in to darker forces, but coming out fighting.

The band pull everything together for the masterpiece that is ‘Teardrops’. The summoning of their early days, coupled with abundant soul influences, gives ‘Yeah Yeah Yeah’ its great pop moment. With the gentle sway of Bacharach and the bubblegum melodies of Lightning Seeds clear influences here, Cast’s ability to impart hope is on display for all to see: “the world awaits for love to break the spell.” It is an utterly timeless piece of songwriting, which displays Power’s boundless ability to deliver cinematic presence.

For many season bands, there has often been a clamour of late to put out records that pay lip service to their beginnings. Let’s face it, the nostalgia wave of the post-COVID era would be an easy one to ride. What’s not always clear is whether this is an attempt to capture former feelings or simply appease their fanbase. What Cast achieve here is a knowing wink to their roots, while allowing their skill, sense of adventure and ambition off the leash. 

Does it outrun ‘All Change’? Is it even possible to surpass a breakthrough that soundtracks life, love and loss? Probably not. What this album achieves is the restraint with which it captures time’s passage, alongside spiritual growth and sharpened craft. As such, Cast have delivered an album that those of us lucky to be around in another thirty years will herald as another classic.

Click the image below for tickets to their upcoming tour:

Marseille - Out of the Blue

As the year winds down, we’re using the last days of 2025 to revisit our favourite singles from autumn and winter that we didn’t get to review but couldn’t leave behind.

On November 28th, Derby’s Marseille released ‘Out of the Blue’ via their own label Echo Bass Records. The producer was Wolf Alice cohort Michael Smith.

On this ode to catharsis, Marseille find their sweet spot between The Verve and Oasis once more. The intro signifies the wrath and mounting grief in a toxic relationship that frontman Will Brown endured. To music lovers of a certain age, it screams words like history, forever, and destiny. It evokes, rightly or wrongly, the ambition of bands to conquer the world. It’s heavy, it will drain the soul, but it will leave you a better person for it.

Lead guitarist Joe Labrum’s playing is the answer to the question, what if Noel Gallagher merged with Nick McCabe? The intense introspective power of The Verve and the ability to soar and escape of Oasis unite to give the Derbyshire outfit one of their finest moments to date.

2025 has proven, through The Bracknall and Pastel, that there is a want and need for bands like Marseille to exist. With any luck, 2026 will see their debut album and significant rewards for them.

Maze - Ziggy

As the year winds down, we’re using the last days of 2025 to revisit our favourite singles from autumn and winter that we didn’t get to review but couldn’t leave behind.

At the start of September, London’s Maze released ‘Ziggy’, the second single from their upcoming second album.

In 2022, Maze emerged as everyone's favourite elder statesmen with their album ‘Chaos Interrupted’. It was a heartfelt ode to the music they loved, a fine project for mates to embark on. On ‘Ziggy’, there feels like a shift, a confidence has stirred in the wake of the debut. Frontman Gary Davis toys with cadence, switching from sumptuous pop vocals to defiant with a joyous ease.

Sonically indebted to the Roses’ paisley era, ‘Ziggy’ trips along with John Squire’s early romanticism until the solo, where they capture the magic of the C86 movement alongside the hazy hedonism of Northside.

The newfound belief in themselves will extend to a massive gig at the Scala with Peter Azzopardi. Do your duty and help them sell it out!

Click the image below for tickets:

The Utopiates - Lost My Groove

As the year winds down, we’re using the last days of 2025 to revisit our favourite singles from autumn and winter that we didn’t get to review but couldn’t leave behind.

On November 19th, London’s The Utopiates released ‘Lost My Groove’ via V2 Records. It saw the band once again step into Leeds studio The Nave with Andy Hawkins (Pigeon Detectives, Maximo Park).

So often dubbed the groove machine, they’re a band embossed with positivity and levity. This time out, they’re awash with paranoia and fear. Frontman Popplewell delivers a Skint & Demoralised-style vocal, but with added spite!

That said, the bassline still earns its moniker with its abrasive hooks. Fromer singles from the upcoming second album ‘Evanescent’ and ‘Reputation’ tapped into the slick debauchery of 00s NYC and New Young Pony Club. Here, homage is in the bin as they chart a course that sounds truly theirs, with their harsh basslines teetering on the edge of euphoria in the chorus.

Album number two is due out early next year, and on the run of singles in 2025, it is shaping up to be a beauty.

All The Young - Something More

As the year winds down, we’re using the last days of 2025 to revisit our favourite singles from autumn and winter that we didn’t get to review but couldn’t leave behind.

Image & Artwork courtesy of the band

Kicking things off are Stoke’s finest, All The Young, with their late November release ‘Something More’. Written by frontman Ryan Dooley, the single was produced by The K’s and Frank Turner cohort Gareth Nuttall.

Their last two offerings have witnessed the band mining personal anguish to inform their storytelling. ‘Demons’ examined the lived painful experiences of guitarist Thomas Crompton in a former band, whilst ‘Bad Blood’ sought to move on from the torment.

‘Something More’ follows in their footsteps as they embrace self-reflection. Monkey after monkey is pulled off their backs before the realisation that it’s them they need to step back from. The opening acoustic chords are straddled with Compton’s racing electric licks to signify that now is the time to acknowledge the journey they have been on and the good place they now reside in.

For a long time, ATY have been sonically free. Now, the shackles have come off matters of the heart and mind. The prospects of the third album being completely unrestrained are truly mouth-watering. 2026 might be the year they return to rock ‘n’ roll throne!

The Bracknall: 229, London

London outfit The Bracknall played their last, and biggest, gig of the year at 229 this past Saturday. The sold-out gig capped off a year which saw their second album chart at .., support slots with The Ks and The Enemy, and a debut big top slot at the Isle of Wight Festival.

*banner image credit: This Is Gary

Image credit: This Is Gary

Breakout year? On paper, yes. At the 229, the reality felt more akin to the festive seasons' lean into nostalgia. They had the aura of a huge band playing a smaller venue as a rare treat for their fans. Nothing about this night said a new band was making their way. Every song is rapturously sung back at the band, with the band name being bellowed out between songs

‘Good to the Bone’ was the personification of this. Frontman Jack Dacey’s vocals, boisterous but pure, carried a weight of emotion that spilt over in the crowd. Arms aloft, grown men in tears, hugging, singing, dancing, hell, one couple got engaged during it. This year may have been dominated by rock ‘n’ roll's past, but its present and future were right here. Euphoric escapism oozed from their guitars with the kind of guts and glory that leaves dirt in your fingernails and scars on the soul.

The second album, arguably a masterpiece in waiting, bathed the set in a glow of aching power. ‘Ain’t It Shame’ rose like a ready-made anthem, transforming heartbreak into collective release. ‘Get Better’ tapped into something wilder and more primal, sending the room spinning with energy, and it’s key change, oof! It drops with the ecstatic rush of a rave classic, it washes through the crowd like a lifetime’s worth of joy compressed into a single, breathless moment.

Every verse and chorus hit with the force of a triumphant return, welcomed like prodigal sons stepping back into the light. The crowd hurled their fists into the air, banishing their demons as the room ignited with a unity not witnessed since The Enemy. Brutal, beautiful, and utterly human, this was the resurrection of rock ’n’ roll. Once dormant, now blazing, its pulse thundered through the night with undeniable life.

Image credit: This Is Gary

Pastel: Shiiine On Weekender '25

“I don’t have to sell my soul”

What began as a straight-up live review, a celebration of how a new band has tapped into the soul of Shiiine and its people, changed overnight. Pastel was going to be the story: a young group reigniting the electricity of The Verve, with flashes of Oasis and Ride stitched through their sound.

Banner and article image credit: Paul Hunt Media

That was the plan.

Then, on 20 November, the tragic news broke that Gary “Mani” Mountfield had passed.

Everything stopped. The words felt hollow. As Steve Mason put it so perfectly, “we were left without the nation’s cooler older brother”. I spent the days afterwards humming ‘Waterfall’, sometimes singing it under my breath while holding my newborn and my two-year-old—often with tears running down my face, thinking, the review is pointless.

Then Shiiine On resident DJ Dan Fulham dropped his tribute to Man on Cyndicut. Grief turned to celebration. Music felt joyful and meaningful again.

From sweatbox venues to supporting Liam at Knebworth, Pastel have been blowing the competition away. As they stride onto the main stage at Shiiine, their raw power has the gravitational pull of the Death Star, hauling in a huge crowd.

Onstage they had the nerve to bite the hand that fed them, mocking their own set length, taking the piss out of the festival machine, and doing it all with that feral spark Mani never bothered to hide. Draped in pristine Spezial, they didn’t just take the stage, they seized it. Not with empty swagger, but by dragging us straight into their world. No smoke, no gloss, no industry-approved sheen. Just the volatility of youth and great songwriting.

Mani’s passing brought back memories of the kind of character he was. A lovable rogue, opinionated, defiant, challenging, and welcoming. The kind of presence the modern industry has pushed to the margins. And yet, in Pastel, that same collision of talent, attitude, and warmth is happening again.

Watching Pastel so soon after losing Mani made something clear: the lineage isn’t broken. The spirit of character, of charm, of defiance, of music that hits you square in the chest lives on.

Maybe that’s the point after all.

“I’ve got heroes blood running through my veins”

The Rogues – Oh Gena

Newport outfit The Rogues have returned with their new single ‘Oh Gena’. Written by frontman Andrew Flannelly, it was recorded in Newport, with producer Richard Jackson in the summer of 2025. 

*banner image credit: Tom Damsell

Despite the showmanship on display from lead guitarist Alex Ainsworth his playing has a universality to it which renders it accessible to the masses. Something frontman Flannelly latches on to with his soulful indie vocal. He wraps himself around the licks with a grace that enriches the soul and allows us mere mortals to peer into their world.

Ainsworth’s hook playfully nods to Bo Diddey’s classic ‘Hey Mona’, which provides a platform for him to unfurl a flourish of Britpop, enthused with joy. Everything about his playing screams, “Come and love this band”.

It’s not the best single of the year, but it’s the perfect counterpoint to their previous work in 2025, which is. Uplifting and embracing, The Rogues have shown a craftsmanship that continues to cast their indie net wider.

Masi Masi – The Café

‘The Café’ is the fourth single from Bradford singer-songwriter Masi Masi. It’s taken from his upcoming debut album ’51 51’, which is due for release in April ’26.

In a crowded market, Masi’s distinct vocal and willingness to stroll rather than sprint sets him apart as a songwriter. He meanders from lost to found, from quaint to defiant with a grace that seasoned pros would pay good money for.

*image courtesy of CDP Radio PR

Don’t mistake his casual cadence for timidity, though. This is the sound of a soul being laid bare. It’s the essence of youth trying to find its way via the tenderness of Graham Coxon. His higher notes are nothing short of ethereal magic. What begins as stripped back soars in its climax to concretely prove that Masi is a supreme talent to be reckoned with.

Click the image below for tickets to Masi Masi’s upcoming shows:

JW Paris - Anything

London-based JW Paris recently released their latest single ‘Anything’ via Blaggers Records.

*banner image credit: Taylor Conboy

Artwork credit: Daniel Collins. Courtesy of Vanadian Avenue

With Blur’s ‘Tracey Jacks’ emblazoned across their hearts, JW Paris takes a wry look at modern life in London. Soaked in Camden’s past, they point to a broader, far more dystopian present in this anarchy-driven moment of guitar joy.

London may not sprawl endlessly, but it remains disorienting enough for anyone to lose their footing. The protagonist here edges close to being overwhelmed by the city’s intensity, searching for meaning and a sense of cultural or political quiet, only to find the opposite.

Musically, the track draws on the razor-edged guitar work of Elastica and the melodic sensibility of ‘Modern Life Is Rubbish’. Danny Collins and Aaron Forde deliver verse vocals with a controlled, cunning quality reminiscent of Louise Wener’s ‘Bedhead’-era performances. The chorus then opens out into a rush of art-rock euphoria straight from the mid-’90s playbook, anchoring the song firmly within its influences while keeping its own voice intact.

Time and time again, JW Paris proves they’re nothing short of remarkable. Soon, the world will catch up!

The Ariston – Fiction

The Ariston returned with their latest single ‘Fiction’ on the 7th November. Released via Right Track Records and Universal Music Operations, it coincided with their biggest gig of the year at London’s 229 for This Feeling.

Fiction cover art credit: Charlie Wright and Ethan Muscat 

*banner image courtesy of This Feeling.

Angelic licks and a vocal searching for meaning open this single to a world of potential. It allows a brooding intensity, the kind that comes alive in the shadows. The sound of youth in the throes of a social life that’s barely in control.

When frontman Luca Slade and bassist Will Parsonson catch fire here, they bring latter-day Foals’ driving ambition to the fore. They land the sonic explosion with enough poignancy to leave a mark. Still, you can’t shake the feeling they’re just one killer hook or soaring solo away from landing a true knockout blow. It’s the kind of moment Foals spent years chasing, yet The Ariston already seem on the brink of capturing it.

Bold, ambitious yet shy and uncertain, they have put down a marker now that, if they never fall below, will see their small sold-out venues rapidly rise to the academy stages and beyond!

The Institutes - Trick the Light

Coventry outfit The Institutes are back with the first single from their second album, which is due in 2026. ‘Trick the Light’ was recorded at Vada Studios with Matt Terry (The Enemy) producing.

During lockdown, The Institutes emerged like a ray of hope. Single after single, their euphoric singles fought their way through the heavy fog descending upon us all. After a couple of years of great gigs, the band amicably parted ways with their ethereal singer, Reid Currie.

Fans left hollow, the band left spinning. Could they ever come back? Even with the announcement of ‘Trick of the Light’, there was a sense that it would never be the same.

Step forward ‘Trick of the Light’!

The jangle of The Byrds caresses the finesse of their debut album on this ode to hiding pain and burying torment. Where the debut offered a glimpse of hope, they are now offering a new way. One of togetherness, one that’s been damaged but dug the fingernails in the dirt and clung on to their beliefs.

The new vocals hit an enriching sweet spot as they wrap themselves around the effortless guitars. Everyone should be left in no doubt that the band are back and is ready to guide us all back to the promised land once again.

The Slates - Understand the Groove

The Slates have released their new single ‘Understand the Groove’ via This Feeling and Canvas Music. The single was written by the band, produced by Peter Redshaw, and mixed and mastered by James Kenosha.

*banner image credit: Oliver Roberts.

Artwork courtesy of Fear PR

To date, The Slates have been crashing through gates with chaotic indie, searching for the knockout anthem. This time out, they step back into a world of ‘Fools Gold’ and Ride with groove-laden licks and funked-up basslines.

There’s a musicality to them here which proves they’re not just indie fodder. There’s a deftness of touch, a slickness to play which can cut through the post-punk dirge of the guitar scene. Frontman Louis Barnes’ vocal refrains from his archetypal 100mph, steps into an ethereal pocket, only occasionally snarling to add poignancy to said moments. Between Barnes and Joe Briggs, the guitars stride to the front of the stage, bearing a hook destined for radio airwaves!

If you’re going to stray onto John Squire and Andy Bell’s patch, then there best be a solo, right? The percussion and jagged bass of Jude Wales lead The Slates into the majesty of ‘Fools Gold’ and ‘One Love’. Powerful, but short, they get in and get out in indie’s finest heist of the year.

Click the link below for tickets to their upcoming tour:

Fitzroy Holt - Around the Wreakin

Dudley’s Fitzroy Holt is back with his new single ‘Around the Wreakin’, the first to be released via Libertines drummer Gary Powell’s label 25 Hour Convenience Store.

*banner image credit: Patsy Wesson

In 2024, Holt was in a poignant mood. His three singles straying from Love to Shack to Curtis Mayfield. He was setting himself out as a serious player of introspective soul music.

Artwork courtesy of Fear PR

‘Around the Wreakin’, however, is a different beast. Animalistic guitars resound into dank landscapes whilst Holt’s vocal is a rabid monster. A febrile juggernaut careering faster than 100mph to blow a hole into the UK music scene.

A new standard has been set!

The guitars boom like the Black Keys until the closing stages, when the bluesy licks catch fire. There is something truly devastating about his playing here. Even the protracted notes sound like volcanic eruptions.

All sonic development pales into insignificance when Holt lets rip on the mic. Gone are the smooth, crisp vocals we’ve become accustomed to, and in comes brutalist and guttural rage. Holt didn’t need to be set apart from the pack, but this has made said gap irretrievable.

Colour TV – iBaby

“Don’t turn the light off and leave me”

After a two-year hiatus, the South-West four-piece Colour TV are back with their new single ‘iBaby’. Recorded at Cube Studios on the Cornish coast, it was mastered by Slowdive’s Simon Scott.

*image & artwork courtesy of the band & This Feeling.

In 2023, Colour TV reimagined the purpose of being a Wallflower with great English prose and tunes to rival Bernard Butler-era Suede. Everything was in place to give indie its soul back. Then came the news that frontman Sam Durneen was suffering from mental health issues.

What followed their announcement of return was inevitable. Questions of whether the world has moved on and can they still do it inevitably arose.

In their time away, Fontaines DC seminal album ‘Romance’ has proved the UK is ready to feel the love through its music again. Meanwhile, the emergence of The North, April Tapes, and Pynch has ushered in a new era of emotion-driven poetry inspired by indie-punk.

‘iBaby’ lands the band right at the heart of a scene seemingly designed for them to thrive. Jack Yeo’s guitars twist and tumble with the drama of ‘Dog Man Star’ and at points, rupture hearts with the isolation of Steve Mason (Gene).

Twisted and tormented, this brand of alt-pop music is essential for these times. Beneath its heartbreak, the song hums with the unease of a world coming apart, the failing relationship echoing a political climate unravelling at the seams. As Durneen declares, “I loved you like a son / Stone you like a mother / it’s never gonna feel how it did when you were young”, their unique sense of agony roared to the surface.

With Gene returning this month, and Suede releasing yet another great album, it’s only fitting that Colour TV return and offer this generation their vision. The spotlight may be on their esteemed elders, but it won't be for long.

Ecko – Danny Mackenzie

Ayrshire outfit Ecko have released their new single ‘Danny Mackenzie’ today ahead of their support slot with Marseille next month.

Basslines this slick should be illegal. They strut with a knowing confidence and dripping with attitude. Residing somewhere between Ronnie Wood’s ragged charm and Mani’s effortless groove allows frontman Jamie Wardem’s laid-back vocal to slide in perfectly on top.

The resounding licks in the closing stages, capped by an intricate solo, are made to raise fists in triumphant rock ’n’ roll victory. Possessed by the devil and locked on target, their sonic lasers are set to enthral. They wrap their debauched sound around your soul, seeping into the veins with dark intent. This kind of murky rock ’n’ roll should be prescribed on the NHS.

Next month they support Marseille, a band who have been making strides behind the likes of Pastel and The Bracknall as the next rock ‘n’ roll horse out of the traps. On this showing, they could be blown off course by the Scottish hurricane that is Ecko.

Charm - Icy Fingers

Birmingham’s Charm released their latest single, ‘Icy Fingers’, at the end of September. The release marks the run to their big hometown.

*Photo: Matt Lansdown 

Artwork Credit: @takiisbranding

There are times you yearn for the past, something you know to be great, to invigorate the soul. Then, in an instant, a song comes along that’s so good, you spit in disdain at yesteryear!

This is that song.

Filthy licks sent from the devil conjure images of early Black Keys and BRMC jamming in their finest leather. When the guitars erupt, it always feels on their terms. They move from hook to crescendo to solo, to the hook again, not because they should, but because they can! All you can do as mortals is look on in awe.

Cutting through the behemoth guitars is their frontman, whose vocals bed in between BRMC’s Peter Hayes and Robert Levon Been and Liam Gallagher. Straying from the cool to the defiant lends the record an everyman appeal and allows the listener into their world of behemoth riffs.

History books will note that 25th September is when Charm ceased to be a rock ‘n roll pack runner and became a leader. They’ve set a new standard which now must reach into the four corners of the globe and conquer.