Marseille – Freedom EP

Derby’s Marseille made huge inroads into the hearts and minds of British music lovers on their recent sold-out tour. To cap it all off, they release their debut EP on the 5th May. Banner image courtesy of Paul Dixon.

Artwork courtesy of Mr. Shaw

The title track ‘Freedom’ is lit up by drummer Tom Spray’s drumming. What begins as a glorious nod to Tony McCaroll’s spiky drumming cascades into something far more flamboyant that Reni would rejoice in. It allows frontman Will Brown to slide into the limelight with his angelic rock ‘n’ roll star vocal. Brown gives the record a soaring sense of destiny but, through his beauty and fragility, lets the masses into the world of Marseille, which is becoming untouchable talent-wise.

On the latest single ‘Thinker’, the love of Oasis turns to Noel’s ‘Masterplan’. Rock ‘n’ roll isn’t here to reinvent the wheel, it is, however, a great tool to reignite old flames as Oasis did so well with Slade and T-Rex on ‘Definitely Maybe’. Blessed with sumptuous guitars and big key changes, they tap into Gallagher’s penchant to unite big crowds with even bigger universal sonic.

Former single ‘Only Just Begun’ steps back into a hazier realm. As weightless as ‘Twistarella’ and freeing as Shambolics’ ‘Dreams, Schemes, & Young Teams’, they’ve conjured images of ‘Sally Cinnamon’ flirting with The La’s and DMA’s. Vocally, the band has stepped up with harmonies enhancing what was, already a rich sound. As Brown decrees “I don’t want to be that guy”, he emits a level of emotion not seen by him before. His soul, for a fleeting moment, is left exposed and vulnerable. This level of openness and generosity of feeling is so often wrapped up in angst and rage. Brown and co have encased it with lysergic licks of love which breed hope and togetherness.

EP closer ‘Lost and Found’ finds a sweet spot between DMAs and Oasis. It allows for their sun-kissed instincts to connect with the raw pop-rock power of ‘What’s The Story…’. Lennon Hall’s power chords give this an urgent, almost desperate quality that Owen Morris’ reckless soul would surely smile through studio glass at. Hall’s rhythm is met by Labrum’s innate ability to stand on the shoulders of guitar giants. As carefree as The View’s debut he unleashes a sprawling melody that Lee Mavers and John Squires will marvel at.  

Indebted too much to the past? Possibly. There is so much joy and emotion emanating from this EP it’s near impossible not to be enamoured with it. Always pastiche, never parody, Marseille can fly the flag of their heroes with pride.

Balado – Paper Airplanes

Glasgow five-piece Balado recently released their new single ‘Paper Airplanes’. Recorded at Mark Morrow’s Studio B with Ewan Simpson behind the mixing desk it follows their smoky-blues rock ‘n’ roll anthem ‘Black Shadow’ from last October.

Image & artwork courtesy of The Songbird PR.

‘Paper Airplanes’ tells the tale of the band’s journey through their teenage years as rogue students and how they got their rocks off. Danny Bonner’s opening riffs burrow straight to the heart with pangs of nostalgia which frontman Jamie Finnigan’s heightens exquisitely as he decrees:

“Those are the days that you will see never again for you and me”

Many would stay in this lane of nostalgia, especially with guitar parts this strong. Not Balado! They inject ‘Paper Airplanes’ with drum fills, hi-hats, and a solo of joyous defiance. The no-mark teacher who labelled “neds” well and truly exorcised from their past.

With two fingers up the 00s-esque solo resounds out proud, Balado will not have their past demeaned. Their playful sense of pride should breed confidence in future generations. Don’t let the bastards ground you down, the future is always unwritten.

The Kairos - Thick Of It

Liverpool outfit The Kairos recently released their new single ‘Thick Of It’. Recorded at The Motor Museum, it is the lead single from their upcoming EP ‘Better Late Than Never’.

Image & artwork courtesy of The Songbird PR

Through Tom Dempsey’s guitars, vocals, and Owen Forrester’s guitars, a huge sense of anticipation is conjured akin to the celestial dance meets rock music of Rob Harvey and Adam Nutter’s The Music.

Like their Leeds elders, the ability to slide from the mystical into a stomping guitar hook is prominent. Dempseys’ vocal is blessed with a grandness that builds such excitement it creates alternate realities to escape to. It’s the perfect platform for the band to switch up the tempo into something far more direct. The hook is reminiscent of Hot Chip’s classic solo on ‘Over and Over’ is the dictionary definition of indie floorfiller. Muscular but welcoming, it goes through the gears rapidly and begs you to stomp with arms aloft like you own the world!

‘Thick Of It’ follows a fine run of singles in ‘Time Keeper’, ‘Lazy Lethargic’, and ‘Round The Bend’. All of these show a band who have seriously kicked on from their initial pre-lockdown form. They are toying with the 00s hook-heavy scene and more expansive rock music with the skill of seasoned masters, not young upstarts. 2023 could well be their breakout year.

Click the image below for their hometown show in May:

Standin’ Man – If You Don’t Know What To Do With Yourself

Standin’ Man have returned with their new single ‘If You Don’t Know What To Do With Yourself’. It follows the single ‘Be Your Own Messiah’ released earlier this summer. It was produced by Jim Spencer (Charlatans, Johnny Marr, New Order) and recorded at Motor Museum Studios (Liverpool) and Eve Studios (Manchester).  

Singer and songwriter Dean Fairhurst makes five men sound like an army of men with his stadium-sized belief. He switches up from Liam Gallagher to Daltrey to John Lennon with an ease that is frankly, terrifying.

It’s true brilliance lies within the baggy-mod beats and rhythms. They drag the spirit of ‘Pills, Thrills, and Bellyaches’ to the pop majesty of ‘It’s Only Love’ and beg the question, why has no one ever done this before?

The single erupts into ecstasy via Joe Kavaney’s psychedelic guitar solos. They fire out across the night sky like the northern lights on speed. They take Steve Craddock’s early OCS work to the edge of Hendrix via that glorious moment Clapton became a Beatle. There could be no better soundtrack to this tale of getting lost in the moment as a collective.

Two behemoth singles in and Standin’ Man are looking like huge album of the year contenders in 2023.

The Lunar Towers - Hurry Up and Wait

The Lunar Towers are a four-piece hailing from Cheltenham and now residing in London. They consist of Rory Moore (bass/vocals), Joe Richardson (guitars/vocals), Rob Sewell (guitars/vocals), and Bradley Hillier-Smith (drums).

Rory and Joe met by chance in a French class at school and bonded over music, Oasis t-shirts, and Morrissey haircuts. They have recently recorded with The Moons frontman and Paul Weller multi-instrumentalist Andy Crofts, a sure sign of genuine talent.

After the singles ‘Wire’ and ‘Happy As Larry’ were picked up by Shindig magazine, Radio X, and BBC Introducing in the summer, they’ve returned with their debut EP ‘Hurry Up and Wait’. Here’s our track-by-track review:

*Images and artwork courtesy of The Songbird HQ

‘Hurry Up and Wait’ is available to buy on their Bandcamp page.

Plastic Glass Towers

The rippling guitars of Derby peers Marseille can shimmer on the darkest of winter days. Not content with bringing the sunshine to grey landscapes, they have Teenage Fanclub’s innate ability to conjure an escapist momentum to revel in.

There’s a ramshackle beauty to Sewell’s vocals which evokes Pastels’ Creation Records era. The abrasive yet beautiful delivery gives them a joyous us versus the world sonic!

Pillar 2 Post

This time out, Richardson takes the vocal lead which transforms the bands sound. Blessed with the smokiness of Elliot Smith, the lo-fi drawl of Lou Barlow, and the joy of The Orchids’ James Hackett, It allows their sunny disposition to roam free.

The sumptuous guitars meander with the effortless beauty of Lawrence in his Felt days and the folk-indie magic of Belle & Sebastian. What prevents them from becoming just another indie band with a nice jangle is the directness of the solo. It brings Teenage Fanclub and Goa Express into play which broadens their horizons and therefore, future excitement exponentially.

Southern Love

With The Byrds in their hearts, they set sail for the Laurel Canyon. McGinn’s guitars and crosby’s soulful vocals are reimagined to a scintillating effect. The urgency is instant. The vitality is necessary! This is rock ‘n’ roll at its absolute best. Desperate to set the soul free from its trappings via art and integrity.

Back To You

Vocally, Moore has found a sweet spot between the abrasive Pete Shelly and The Jacques’ Finn O’Brien. What makes him more special is the re-homing of the punk spirits in this gentler sonic.

The guitars have the warming glow of Richard Hawley in a parallel universe where he joined forces with Strangelove and Luke Haines to conjure an awkward yet endearing form of crooning.

The K’s – Hometown

The Earlstown quartet returned recently with their new single ‘Hometown’ to support their near sell-out tour. Formed in the wake of watching The Jam, they have been tearing it up on the underground and in support slots. Could this be their breakout moment?

Hissing with hope, ‘Hometown’ roars its way to the hearts and minds of music lovers once more. The joyous rebellion of Slade and the everyman appeal of The Courteeners lurk but, this is the sound of the band entering their pomp. They’ve been defining their identity through aggressive but caring and humble tales and, now, they’ve hit upon the most accessible single to date.

Slade’s unifying debauchery hooks up with the Phonics early tales of local boys and big-time drinkers to ignite The K’s inevitable rise to main stages. Like The Simpsons or Scorsese, they walk the tightrope of underground art and mainstream appeal with an effortless. From Breslin’s stadium-sized riffs to Boyle’s poetic fury, this band with fierce polemic looks to unite the world.

On paper, as the protagonist “empty’s all his wages / Into the pockets of the boys he hated / When he was at school”, you’d be forgiven for feeling exasperated. However, The K’s have The Rifles and The Jam’s skill of making aggression and the downtrodden sounding lovingly Goliath to the point that, you’d throw yourself into the trenches for the character to fight alongside him.

Politically, this country is bankrupt. Liars, cheats and the inept fill the top 2 seats. The apathy towards them is yet more depressing still. The K’s are not Billy Bragg. They’re not standing dialectically opposed to them. However, what their brand of rock ‘n’ roll does is, breathe life into moribund souls. They put under the skin of those who are bored and down. They’re going to escape their woes; will you follow them into the light?

*Image courtesy of Songbird PR