Niall Logue - Kestrel

The frontman of Lacuna Bloome has made his first foray into a solo project. ‘Kestrel’ was written and recorded in his bedroom with close friends Alex (also the producer) and Chris Butcher.

It must be some bedroom because this Is one hell of a polished ode to James Taylor’s ‘Carolina in My Mind’. Sumptuous but aching guitar licks of Jackson Browne guitars marry with Taylor’s classic tale of homesickness. Logue imparts less isolation and more a need to hit the reset button.

Through acoustic guitars and production, Logue manages to bring in the depth of The National. The reflective orchestration of ‘About Today’ and the catch 22 spirit of ‘Bloodbuzz Ohio’ elegantly sway as Logue’s sweet but defiant vocals gravitate towards something truly special.  

Stepping out of the shadow of Lacuna Bloome, to fans would have been a difficult prospect. Their five singles were scintillating affairs. Here, Logue has dialled back the youthful exuberance but delivered something equally sublime.

*Image courtesy of Alex Butcher

The Office For Personal Development - You Are In Control

The Bexhill massive are back with their new single ‘You Are In Control’. Led by Director Trevor Deeble, can they match their previous electronic pop triumphs?

You can buy the single on their Bandcamp page.

Deeble’s vocals take a striking resemblance to Neil Tennant. Never parody, always classy pastiche, his vocals switch from angelic to wry, to an overlord passing on millennia of wisdom to baying subjects.

As a collective, they are walking on clouds such are the levels of bliss. Out and out pop keys are met with Hot Chip beats and early 90s rave breakdowns reel in people from all walks of life. Then, exploding into life is the screeching but euphoric synths beckoning you to the promised land.

Through all the joy comes Deeble’s wise lyrics. All the hopes and dreams that spurn from bugged-out 4am conversations have been clarified in this awe-inspiring message.

Their triumphs are going from good to great with a meteoric rise.

Catch them live here:

Hastings Fat Tuesday Festival - March 1st

The Social, London - March 22nd

The Utopiates - Devolution

London’s Utopiates will release their hugely anticipated debut album later this year. Starting their party in 2022 Is a new single ‘Devolution’. To date, their remarkable output has been recorded from frontman Dan Popplewell’s bedroom. Now recording at Leeds Nave Studios with producer Andy Hawkins, they have a chance to expand what is, an already colossal sound.

The Utopiates catalogue is available from their Bandcamp page.

Clearly unphased by the step into a more professional arena, they bring their love of house music to the fore. Trippy acid house drums fall and climb alongside a ‘Cannonball’ (Breeders) bassline to lay the foundations for Ed Godshaw’s brilliantly blissful keys.

On previous material, their fine rhythm section has allowed Popplewell’s indie-soul vocals soul to soar and guitarist Josh Redding to find new ways to make John Squire the past. Here, in a Bobby Gillespie show of creativity first, they step back. Popplewell’s ability to refrain gives everything more snap and, crucially, allows for a collective spirit to prosper.

Similarly, Redding’s guitar work has been spiralling psychedelic magic from the rock gods Squire and Hendrix. Barely featuring here, he drops in with enriching hooks to kneed everything together, and then, when you think the archetypal blast is coming, he meanders in like Marr with a feather-light touch.

The Utopiates have a great sense of community as a band. Among their fans and peers, they soak it all in and are there for the ride, not the destination. This single is yet more proof of that. A delicate house number which, live, who knows where they could take it on bigger stages with better light shows. Distinctively theirs it offers avenues for collaboration on remixes. Visions of Graeme Park taken it to Hacienda heights or Jagz Kooner dragging into furious despair, it just has to happen, right?

Astrid – Through The Darkness of Your Life

Childhood friends Willie Campbell and Charlie Clark are back with new Astrid material. Written with Paul Quinn (Teenage Fanclub/Soup Dragons) and James ‘Cliffy’ Clifford (Cosmic Rough Riders), the 90s pioneers release ‘Through The Darkness of Your Life’ via No Big Deal Music.

Image & artwork courtesy of Sonic PR

Similar to the fantastic new Boo Radleys single, this targets past experiences as key learnings to moving forwards. As the hazy guitars swirl, Clark finds hope and progress through his more troubling days.

The spritely psychedelia of Alfa 9’s underrated classic ‘My Sweet Movida’ chimes with The Pretty Things classicism and the pop sensibilities of The Coral as the band proves they still have the magic. Campbell and Clark’s harmonies hark back to the warming immediacy of Pretty Things ‘Don’t Bring Me Down’.

Rather than the obligatory west coast solo for this type of record, Astrid keeps it tight with a Beatles-esque stomp. It keeps the party atmosphere of The Stands alive and is all the better for it.

ASTRID - 2022 UK TOUR DATES - Buy tickets here
February 11th ,The Voodoo Rooms, Edinburgh
February 12th Tolbooth, Stirling 
February 13th Eden Court, Inverness

The Shop Window – Lighthouse

This Image courtesy of Beth Arzy & the band.

Fresh from 2021’s acclaimed debut album ‘The State of Being Human’, Maidstone’s The Shop Window are back their new single ‘Lighthouse’. It will be digitally self-released on 4th February.

They haven’t missed a beat since their last trip to the studio. Rays of light shoot across horizons in homage to Teenage Fanclub and The Mock Turtles. Spritely licks and effortless jangles bring the warmth of C86 to 2022 on this romantic meander.

The elegant and breezy sonic is the perfect companion to songwriter Carl Mann’s discourse; his wife. This passionate ode highlights her calming and nourishing effect on his soul.

Despite the topics’ protagonist, it is Mann’s vocals (backed by Simon ‘Syd’ Oxlee) that shine brightest. He takes the ethereal beauty of Mark Gardener and the forlorn ache of Massage’s Andrew Romano to conjure something truly spellbinding.

Released a week before Valentine’s Day, Mann has made us all up our efforts for present buying now! Check back on the 4th Feb to watch

*Banner image courtesy of Darren Stokes & the band.

Live Dates
19th March - 33 Oldham St, Manchester - with Arcade State & Jay Tennant

Guerilla Toss – Cannibal Capital

New York's quintet Guerilla Toss are back with a new single ‘Cannibal Capital’. Taken from their upcoming album ‘Famously Alive’, which is released March 25th via the iconic Sub Pop.

The album is available for pre-order here https://megamart.subpop.com/products/guerilla-toss_famously-alive

A riot of cut and paste travelling through hyperspace arrives not at Alderaan but at the edge of greatness. MBV’s fuzz, MGMT’s vastness, and Passion Pit’s pop instincts combine on this glorious assault on the senses.

Singer (and lyricist) Kassie Carlson hovers above the mayhem like a psychedelic butterfly, just drifting from glitch to glitch carefree. All the while, dealing with the mental struggle of the pandemic with a grace worthy of Thom Yorke’s ‘Eraser’.

*Image courtesy of Ebru Yildiz & Sub Pop.

MOSES – Happy Birthday Payday

London’s MOSES have released their new single ‘Happy Birthday Payday’ via Space & I Records. Taken from their upcoming second album, it was recorded at Magic Garden Studios and produced by long-time partner Gavin Monaghan.

Image & artwork courtesy of Artbeat Promotions & Matei Parascan.

Right out of the gate the early rock ‘n’ roll of The Beatles is pummelled with the Stooges intensity. There’s a brashness and looseness a la Longpigs and 60ft Dolls creeping into their playing which allows frontman Victor Moses to play with his lyrical delivery more.

The rejection of a 9 to 5 life comes round for every generation. However, Victor’s sardonic take steers clear of cliché and will have Ryan Jarman and Alan Donohoe applauding from on high.

They’re in a sweet spot where they are us and we are them. Financial struggles are rife with inflation but, who really cares about the working classes in the arts? Not many! Without MOSES lyrical insights, the arts will continue to be plagued by the middle and upper classes. It’s not reverse snobbery; the struggle just has to be real.

This has the hallmarks of Blur coming of age on ‘Modern Life Is Rubbish’. This is the sound of a band in tune with its people. Does a band impart empathy better than MOSES? Probably not!

They will be on tour in February:

22 Liverpool, The Jacaranda

23 Leeds, The Vinyl Whistle

25 Bristol , The Crofters Rights

Ticket links at https://mosesofficial.com

Frank Turner – A Wave Across A Bay

Punk-folk stalwart Frank Turner is back with a new single ‘A Wave Across A Bay’. It’s taken from his upcoming ninth studio album ‘FTHC’ released on February 11th via Xtra Mile Recordings & Polydor. ‘A Wave Across A Bay’ was born out of a lucid dream that featured his dear departed friend Scott Hutchison. The single is out now and all proceeds are going to the charity Tiny Changes, a mental health organisation set up in Scott’s memory.

Check out the acoustic version here.

Frank Turner’s songwriting has always had an honest, brutal at times. Whether it be the troublesome journey with his dad (happily restored now) on ‘Father’s Day’ and ‘Redemption’ or the Amy break up songs, Turner has worn his heart on his sleeve.

Despite this, few could have expected the openness of his latest single. With the discourse so tragic, a rage-filled punk anthem would have been acceptable right? Not for Turner! Stepping away from his bread and butter to combine spoken word, angelic vocals, and ethereal production, if that’s not paying homage to his friend and Frightened Rabbit, we don’t know what is.

It would be forgivable to trot out clichés of love and loss lyrically. Turner’s creativity and furthermore, adoration for his friend have not allowed it. At times he becomes his friend, at others, he offers up a level of understanding to his plight that is a triumph of the human spirit.

The Mural was painted by Michael Corr in Glasglow with his wife and daughter who walked by wanting to help. http://www.michaelcorrartist.co.uk/

For so long, we, like thousands of others, have followed Turner into battle fists aloft. Even his gentler moments are embedded with a punk spirit that acts as a moral compass. The sonic departure from this offers a sense of reflection on love, life, and regret akin to the beauty of Thom Yorke’s writing on ‘The Bends’.

The struggles that lockdown brought upon so many are well documented. As an artist, Turner had a reason for being ripped away from him. It must have brought his own struggles. The level of generosity in his art, made at a time of personal strife, about the loss of a loved one, is a truly remarkable creative gesture.

Frank’s new album will be released on 11th February and is available for pre-order here https://store.frank-turner.com/

The Boo Radleys – Keep On With Falling

After the mesmerising comeback EP ‘A Full Syringe and Memories of You’ and ill heath anthem ‘You and Me’ in 2021, The Boo Radleys are back once again. Their new single ‘Keep On With Falling’ is the lead from their upcoming seventh album of the same name (released March 11th).

Image and artwork courtesy of Perspective Communications.

The EP and single witnessed Sice has been in a confessional and defiant mode. ‘Keep On With Falling’ continues in this vein as he seeks meaning through life’s biggest failures. On this ode to himself, he extracts the wisdom to carry on at the juncture most would fold under the weight of collapse:

“When you fall, it will follow, it will shine, it will bite,
And you'll see all the windows that have closed up on your life”

Sice’s vocals hit their angelic nineties peak without missing a beat. No more prevalent than on the delicious layers of backing vocals. So good are his pop instincts here that, Ian Brodie and will be pirouetting with glee.

Layer upon layer of pop-driven backing vocals is added building a definition of alternative bubblegum pop so good that, Lightning Seeds and The Go Go’s looking on in awe.

Not content with being a great indie jangle, the trio introduces elements of Electronic ‘s ‘Some Distant Memory’ and more notably, Nile Rodgers’ guitars. The Chic solos chime with the synths like sunshine on still water, so simple, so pure, and yet so far out of reach of most bands. Not since the Style Council has something English sounded this sun-kissed and funked up!

Form is temporary, class is permanent.

*The album is available for pre-order from the band’s website https://www.thebooradleys.com/

Rooskin ft Katy for Kings – Just a Town You’re Passing Through

Southend’s Rooskin have teamed up with fellow songsmith Katy for Kings on their latest single ‘Just a Town You’re Passing Through’. Released late 2021, can they keep up their rich vein form?

This time out, they allow a melancholy to pervade their hazy technicolour. Furthermore, the duet with Katy for Kings shows a creative instinct way beyond their years. Usually, it’s senior artists who dabble in a concept album. Rooskin, have boiled it down to a concept single where a couple enacts their tumultuous position.

The lyrical back and forth is less playful than Mystery Jets & Laura Marling’s ‘Young Love’ and more forlorn, albeit just as melodic. They impart honesty from both sides, demonstrating a creative acumen beyond their years. The Rooksin perspective, hopeful but beaten (“come on oversee things my way / but you never do / and you never will”) is downtrodden but shrouded in great melody. It is though, the spiky nature of Katy’s character where the true magic lies:

“my conversations come with a catch / I say things just to take them back”

The ethereal refrain is rapidly becoming an archetypal sonic. By adding the pop instincts of Mystery jets and the harmonies of the west coast on this offering, they have continued their fine run of singles by growing as a creative collective.

Columbia – Glory People

The Cardiff four-piece had one hell of a run in 2021. Their last release of the year ‘Glory People’, did they save the best to last?

Images courtesy of the band.

When Shed Seven returned with new music in 2017, they led the charge with ‘Room In My House’. A glorious piece of rock ‘n’ roll that paid homage to the Stones, The Roses, and their ‘96 classic ‘A Maximum High’. In 5mins, Columbia have almost rendered it redundant with its phenomenal belief, destructive guitars, and incredible backing vocals from Asha Jane.

Guitarist Ben has found a sweet spot that pays homage to Richards, Squire (Second Coming/Seahorses era), and the hypnotic riffs of early Oasis & BRMC. However, this is no pastiche. This is a statement of intent! Columbia determined, destined even, to be their equals. More importantly, through the shimmering loops and escapist solos, they will take us, mortals, with them.

24hr news and social media has busted the myth of being a rockstar. The era of idolising excess and womanising is over. Good riddance! However, with it (bar Liam), went confidence and a swagger in the frontman. Millions of us lead ordinary lives. Boring lives. Often without hope. Step forward, Craig Lewis.

Lewis gives birth to the new rockstar. Never taking a backward step, his unwavering belief in his ability lifts you to closer to a promised land not seen in a while. Crucially, empathy leads his vision. No sneering, just a helping hand through the fog:

“Embrace the chaos as the silence invades your mind / When we walk into a storm I know we’ll be fine / We are the glory people shine / we are the glory people yeah”

Oasis continually reached for an anthem to return each new album post ‘Be Here Now’. They continually failed. Columbia have signified in one incredible moment why their reformation is pointless. They are the past; Columbia are the future!

The K's - Picture

Earlestown quintet The K’s have returned with their new single ‘Picture’. Produced and mixed by Gareth Nuttall (‘Saravejo’ producer) at The Lounge in Wigan, it follows the raucous ‘TV’.

Picture courtesy of Katie Stokes & Songbird PR.

Mid-December, credible singles tend to fade into icy cold acoustic affairs in a reflective mood. Not The K’s! Blasting out of the traps with a rip-roaring solo, they set December ablaze with their brand of rock ‘n’ roll.

Guitarist Ryan Breslin taps into The Rifles’ Lucas Crowther as he pummels the senses with infectious and aggressive licks. Every time Breslin steps forward on this record, a frenzy follows. The Pistols-esque solo alongside the crashing drums is enough to believe the second coming has already happened!

Like all great frontmen, Jamie Boyle is never overshadowed. His humble tale of regret allows us, mortals, a way into their iconic sonic. His innate ability to deliver rapid-fire lyrics is the perfect accompaniment to the colossal noise of their gang mentality.

With Father Christmas watching over you. Don’t be naughty, get on this record!

*Cover picture courtesy of Olivia McDowall & Songbird PR

Charlie Clark – Blink of an Eye

Astrid frontman Charlie Clark has been one of 2021’s highlights. The poignant ode to his father ‘A Bridge To Your Idol’ and our single of the year ‘Don’t Have A Cow Man’ have lit up this stop-start year. His third single, ‘Blink of an Eye’, was released at the start of November via No Big Deal Records.

Last time out, Clark was dealing with the pain of his father’s illness. Many in this situation, opt for the music to convey the pain but, Clark has a rare talent to express himself lyrically as well as sonically. This ability is on display again as he digs into the minutiae of relationships. Specifically, he looks at the over-analysis of mistakes made, a trait all can relate to, especially the Rob Fleming’s of the world.

Clark doesn’t waste time, dives straight into his anguish with the line “I don’t want to make this harder on you”. Only James’s ‘Zero’ can lay claim to a harder-hitting opener (“We’re all going to die”). It’s easy to see why Ride’s Mark Gardener mastered this album. Clark holds you in a loving but lost ethereal state of bliss and confusion. Despite his specific narrative, he has a universality to this songwriting which sucks you into a realm of weightlessness to zone out or hone in on life’s pressing issues.

Clark’s guitar playing excels itself on this record. He creates a powerful looping rumble that comes alive in the closing moments. It perfectly encapsulates how the brain can be going a million miles all the while, nothing changes. It rams home those nights of poor life choices, ones most of us made during lockdown wondering where life was going. 

Clark’s debut solo album will be released on No Big Deal Records in the new year. His three singles have been of such quality, variety, and integrity, it is simply not to be missed.

The Gulps – Stuck in the City

The international collective based in London are back with their new single ‘Stuck in the City. It is their debut release on Alan McGee’s label It’s Creation Baby.

Image and artwork courtesy of Sonic PR.

Their early days saw them produce Oasis via The Strokes records which live were fantastic but, on record, were missing something. They began to recreate this magic on their previous single ‘The Kings House’ and on ‘Stuck in the City’, the electricity of the live shows has made the transfer.

Rock ‘n’ roll often needs a reset. The Pistols did it 70s, Oasis did it in the 90s The Strokes/Libertines did it in the 00s. The Gulps have taken their first step towards said reset with this heartfelt polemic. Under Blair, the UK was often cited as apathetic but, with Boris’ shambolic tenure going unchallenged in the polls, the lethargy to incompetence is almost apocalyptic. The Gulps have a rage that is perfect for the modern age. It’s rooted in punk classicism taking aim at consumerism, politics, and social disinterest. It’s their empathy that shines brightest though, it cuts through the angst and chimes gloriously against the hissing guitars.

The psyche debauchery of Oasis remains ever-present but, this time, it’s backed with a relentless rhythm section worthy of early Bloc Party. It creates a glorious punk dichotomy whereby, the introverted genius of Dan Treacy and Gedge are given the stadium belief of Noel Gallagher.

Its only weakness is, it’s arguably too long. A hallmark of ‘Be Here Now’ that surely won’t happen under McGee twice. Nevertheless, the energy of the verses is utterly irrepressible and, the full-throttle solo is more than enough to keep everyone coming back for more.

 The Gulps will be supporting Cast on various dates in January:

Peter Hall – The Best Idea

Nottingham’s Peter Hall will release ‘The Best Idea’, via his Bandcamp page on 5th November. It is the second single to be released from his upcoming album, ‘Light The Stars’. Can it match the star quality of his debut EP ‘There’s Something Wrong with Everyone’.

It takes seconds to answer with an emphatic yes! Hall has such an effortlessness to his writing, it’s impossible not to embrace his world. The meanderings of Mick Head and the acoustic innovation of Badly Drawn Boy combine to create a crisp autumnal sonic.

Vocally, he strays from the icy brilliance of Elliott Smith to the warmth of Sice (Boo Radleys). This ability allows him to shapeshift from an isolated soul to one coming of age with cinematic appeal.

There is something inherently scouse about the Nottingham starlet, especially on the solo. Hints of Shack and Candy Opera permeate the touching moment, ever so forlorn but never downtrodden, it shimmers in the lowly October sun with grace.

On this showing, hall’s album is not to be missed.

Columbia – Keys To The Kingdom

Cardiff’s Columbia have been building a reputation for destructive rock ’n’ roll this past eighteen month. Can their latest single ‘Keys to the Kingdom’ follow suit?

They waste no time in setting ablaze once more. Taking the febrile ‘Reason is Treason’ and turning it into a Knebworth-sized piece of rock is a masterstroke. It allows frontman Craig Lewis to pull back during the verses. Sitting in the pocket, snarling, waiting to attack raises the menace of this track tenfold.

Lewis’ refrain allows for the guitarist Ben and bassist Aaron to flourish. Arron’s basslines have that early firesome funk of Kasasbian and The Music, which, alongside the colossal riffs, begin to make the 00s sound like they were recorded with Stephen Stills in a debauched 70s studio.

When it all chimes in the closing stages, those big psychedelic rock moments Liam yearned for post ‘Heathen Chemistry’ become a reality. With an album due later this year, Columbia could be set for an album of the year.

The Institutes – Something Beautiful

This Friday, Coventry’s The Institutes release their new single ‘Something Beautiful’. Released via 42s Records, it’s the last release before the greatly anticipated debut album ‘Colosseums’ (released next week).

Images and artwork courtesy of 42s Records

This band’s spirit is unparalleled today. They can start songs where The La’s or Ride might climax at. It’s a sensory overload of love which, in 2021, after 11 years of this government dissecting society, is the unifying tonic we all should drink.

Reid Zappa Currie’s vocals and the hazy guitars soar high but, crucially, they’re never out of reach. As a band, they’re in that sweet spot, we are them and they are us. Their dreams are bigger and in action but, they are always beckoning us to join them!

Much like their previous single ‘I Just Can’t Keep Myself from Loving You’, it’s an outpouring of love they have no control over. Lyrically is where there this song’s superpower lies. Juxtaposed to the sonic, it’s a heart-bursting piece of joy. Even at its most overtly dark, when Currie sings “I’m down again but I wanna get up again”, the crashing drums and Cast inspired backing vocals will take your soul to a natural high. It feels more clarion call than a plea for help.

However, its ambiguity can take you to darker places. The line “I don’t think love belongs to you” is delivered with supreme majesty, blink, and you’ll miss connotations of powerlessness to addiction. Currie goes further with:

“This is like a jail sentence, in the jailhouse / caught up with the hangman and he let me down”

Despite the ethereal cadence, images of habitual reliance on drugs formulate and the song’s sense of hope becomes murkier.

Single after single, The Institutes have grown their escapist rock ‘n’ roll. Sonically they unfurl new pastures to explore and now, their lyrics are taking on interesting depths. As a result, next week’s debut album release can’t come soon enough.

Shader - Blackholes (The World Eats A Weak Man)

The indie four-piece from Stoke via Manchester are back with their new single ‘Blackholes (The World Eats A Weak Man)’. Once again produced by Gavin Monaghan, this generation’s Stephen Street, it is available on all platforms now.

Last time out, the four-piece delivered a blistering piece of rock ‘n’ roll. ‘Runaway’ was an anthem with great pop sensibilities begging for attention. This time out, those hooks turn to aggressive basslines, raucous riffs, and nihilistic synths.

This new combination glues everything with vitality and tension which breeds cohesive violence. It’s the sound of polemic and art colliding to produce a collective spirit for good. For any West Wing lovers, this is the bombastic rock version of Leo’s tale of ‘a man fell down a hole’.  A defiant tale of mankind fighting back from the brink is always wanted, in 2021, it’s a dispensable ray of hope!

From the first Depeche Mode synth, lurking in the shadows is 2021’s most volatile guitar solo to date. The eruption is inevitable and, it doesn’t disappoint! It’s a wild adrenaline joyride that erupts from Mikel Lo Bosco’s axe which sets ablaze everything in its wake!

This new aggressive synth-laden sonic has opened a new world to the band. One which makes the prospect of their debut album a fascinating prospect.

*Image courtesy of Puffer Fish PR

Jamie Webster – Going Out

Liverpool’s fastest-rising star Jamie Webster is back with his new single ‘Going Out’. Recorded at the legendary Rockfield Studios with Dave Eringa, the single is released by Modern Sky UK.

With rebellious spit of Tom Clarke etched into his heart, Webster saddles up and rages war against those wilfully overlooking his generation. Centered around two characters, Paul and Annabella, it traverses their frustrations across lockdown.

Webster’s brushstrokes are broad and emotive enough to reel most but, this is not misty-eyed romanticism. Teenagers the world over have had the coming of age moments shredded by covid. Whilst science is undeniable, so is their turmoil. Heightened by a callous greed-driven government who, when they deliver the best results of all time, are still told they’re wrong. Fuck. Off!

Webster’s vocal cadence is a righteous escape into the night. It beckons you into the night on a wing and prayer to forge stories that’ll live forever.  Be McLovin, choose life, find love, drink this, risk it all. Those who haven’t cared, unless a footballer shames them into it will not help. Take the night and own it!

Webster’s second album ‘Moments’ is due for release on January 22nd. His debut, ‘We Get By’, in hindsight lent towards Gerry Cinnamon just too much for it to get the praise its lyrics deserved. On this showing, Webster is now his own man and better for it. Polemic and joy are bounded together for our inspiration.

*Image courtesy of Modern Sky UK

Webster will be touring the UK and Ireland in November and December:

Tue 30 Nov – Glasgow, SWG3

Wed 1 Dec – Newcastle, Boilershop

Thu 2 Dec – Leeds, Beckett Student Union

Sat 4 Dec – Birmingham, Academy 2

Tue 7 Dec – Cardiff, Tramshed

Wed 8 Dec – Bristol, Thekla

Thu 9 Dec – London, Scala

Sat 11 Dec – Belfast, Limelight 1

Mon 13 Dec – Dublin, Academy

Tue 14 Dec – Manchester, O2 Ritz

Thu 16 Dec – Liverpool, Eventim Olympia

Fri 17 Dec – Liverpool, Eventim Olympia – SOLD OUT

Sat 18 Dec – Liverpool, Eventim Olympia – SOLD OUT

Matt McManamon – Meet Me By The River

Images courtesy of Sonic PR.

Former Dead 60s frontman returns with his new single ‘Meet Me By The River’. Recorded at the Transmission Rooms (Longford, Ireland), it’s taken from the acclaimed debut solo album ‘Scally Folk’.

Fittingly, on this ode to lost venues of Liverpool, McManamon taps into the melodic majesty of Shack’s ‘HMS Fable’ and The La’s at their free-flowing best. So carefree is the spirit here that, you’d be forgiven for sauntering around like the star of an 80s yoghurt commercial.

Often, songs that yearn for yesterday are doused in melancholy. Here, the feather-light acoustic guitars lend a celebratory feel. As such, it elevates his integrity in telling this tale. A personal joy is extracted which is heightened by the enriching solo and folk strings.

With a sense of normality back in the world of music, McManamon’s mini-tour in November is shaping up to be a must-see. The melodic freedom of this single alone is enough to turn a grey working day into something great.