Singles

The Rosadocs – At Your Door

As Sheffield five-piece The Rosadocs gear up for their biggest-ever gig at Sheffield City Hall, we look at their recent single ‘At Your Door’.

Image and artwork courtesy of Moon Man PR.

Some may query the big capacity of the City Hall, but ‘At Your Door’ is an insurance policy in itself. It’s raw but mainstream, a classic Death Disco floor-filler! The kind that would (and will) see indie clubs relay their sticky carpets after the mayhem subsides.

The acoustic and electric guitars combine to forge images of a joyous alternate reality where Gerry Cinnamon joined The Enemy to play ‘Where We’re Going’ to thousands. The jagged edges of The Jam and The Enemy are given a little polish here and there to lift this from alt-anthem territory into a record for the masses league.

With every release, frontman Keelan Graney progresses as a generational talent. He has always been blessed with Tom Clarke’s indie-soul fire but on ‘At Your Door’, he is playing Sam Fender’s warmth and Gerry Cinnamon’s cadence as the guitars roar around him. His power is destined to be echoed back at him in venues way beyond the home city of Sheffield; it's inevitable.

‘At Your Door’, in many ways, has done nothing they haven’t achieved already. The thing is, that is a death-defying spirit. The kind that people follow into battle. Rejoice in them now!

Click the artwork below for tickets to their huge Sheffield show:

The Shop Window – It’s A High

In November of last year, The Shop Window released their sophomore album album ‘A 4 Letter Word’ to critical acclaim. Distinct discerning updates on the C86, baggy, and Sarah Records scenes made it one of the albums of the year.

Images courtesy of the band.

Not resting on their laurels, they are set to release the new single ‘It’s A High’ on August 18th via their label Jangle Shop Records. With singer/guitarist Carl Mann behind the producing and mixing, can they recapture the form of 2022?

The dual vocals, acoustic and jangling guitars bring their Medway peers Theatre Royal to the fore. The ecstatic rumble of ‘Caught Me At The Wrong Line’ and ‘The Story Of My Life’ combined with the playfulness of the early days of REM. On a tale of being hopelessly in love, this combo, plus flourishes of Byrds era John Squire and Pale Fountains’s brass meander to great effect.

Form recaptured? A resounding yes!

Their third album ‘Daysdream’ can be pre-ordered from August 18th.

Siracuse – All To You

Cheltenham’s Siracuse follows their fine comeback single ‘Saviour’ with ‘All To You’. Released on Friday, can it stack up to ‘Saviours’ power?

Image & artwork courtesy of the band.

Downtempo from ‘Saviour’ for the most part, Siracuse tap into the earnest power of The Enemy’s acoustic guitars on ‘We’ll Live And Die In These Towns’ and a vocal to rival Liam Gallagher’s search for the celestial.

Lyrically, it’s Siracuse’s finest work to date. Songwriter Ben Zakotti offers guidance to the young and downtrodden to keep on pushing. There’s a power to the lyrics which can only come from a place of love. Perhaps a partner or a child, something that binds you forever through thick and thin!

The gentle amble erupts into life akin to DMA’s ‘Lay Down’ and ‘Feels Like 37’ in the closing stages. A moment of chaos and melody come together to light up the love in Zakotti’s heart.

Where ‘Saviour’ spiralled with personal intent to escape for today, ‘All To You’ inspires tomorrow. Two singles into 2023, Siracuse are becoming utterly unmissable!

Click the image below for tickets to see Siracuse at this years Lakfest:

Mull Historical Society – Room of Masks

Scotland’s Mull Historical Society aka Colin McIntyre returned with his new single ‘Room Of Masks’. Featuring lyrics from crime writer Val McDermid, ‘Room Of Masks’ was released last Friday via Xtra Mile Recordings. Banner image courtesy of Sonic PR.

McIntyre, forever seeking new creative avenues for his blessed songwriting tasked McDermid to pen lyrics about a room with significant meaning. In return, McDermid reflected upon the bedroom which gave those formative years of musical discovery.

McIntyre’s sonic accompaniment is an effortless piece of magic. Dawn-lit guitars akin to Noah and Whale’s masterpiece ‘First Days of Spring’ glisten and build to hymnal euphoria. The gentle build documents McDermid’s teenage escapism from her working-class Fife backdrop.

A fine return to form a criminally underrated songwriter! McIntyre’s new album ‘In My Mind There’s A Room’ will be released 21st of July and will feature other authors such as Ian Rankin, Nick Hornby, Jacqueline Wilson, Jennifer Clement, Sebastian Barry, Alan Warner, Jason Mott, Jackie Kay, Liz Lochhead, and Stephen Kelman.

Gazelle – Lady Blue Sky

Leicester’s Gazelle are back with their new single ‘Lady Blue Sky’. Produced by Matt Cotterill, it marks the run towards their hometown gig at the OMC.

Image & artwork courtesy of the band

Post-lockdown, Gazelle have been in a transformative mood sonically. The early bombast of ‘Finger On The Trigger’ and ‘Have You Found Forever Now?’ has matured, still loitering with intent but now shrouded in nodes of Motown, northern soul, Johnny Marr licks, and flashes of Noel Gallagher’s HFB melancholic songwriting.  On ‘Lady Blue Sky’ they’ve added psyche to their ever-growing repertoire.

The playful trips of Weller’s ‘Sonic Kicks’ hook up with the atmospheric grooves of Kasabian’s first three albums and the muscular immediacy of The Rifles. Stealing the show of this instant classic though is the array of backing vocals.

Drummer Danny Wright’s “ba ba ba’s” set the groove running before frontman Ryan Dunn calls upon Serge Pizzorno’s understated soaring melodies to take the band to another level. It is though, Dunn’s higher pitch backing vocal in the closing stages which take this single from good to great. Blessed with the mesmeric soul power of Noel’s ‘Black Star Dancing’. The only thing that could take it higher would be the dearly departed Denise Johnson.

If 2022’s run of singles wasn’t firm enough proof, ‘Lady Blue Sky’ is the confirmation that Gazelle are the real Deal!

Click the image below for tickets to their headline outdoor gig in Leicester: