Oli Swan – All My Friends Are Lonely

The legendary Fierce Panda Records latest signing Oli Swan, has released ‘All My Friends Are Lonely’. Hailing from Suffolk and based in North London, Swan will release an EP of the same name on April 30th.

Classic pop song-writing is infused at every turn here. If the Travelling Wilburys were to make a laid back glam record, this would surely be it. Swan has a playful sense of Tom Petty about him on this coming of age tale.

Lyrically, Swan paints pictures of inbetweener aged dreamers and schemers. As he decrees “all my friends are losing / ain’t no choosing / ain’t no easy around it”, groups of young outsiders will look upon failed nights out and botched creativity wryly.

“Friday night when we’re drinking” is as a great a closing line as you’ll hear this year. For life’s underdogs and outsiders, dreams, and plans being unhatched rush to the fore. This could be the weekend we get laid, the band get signed, or get served in the pub!

Oli Swan · All My Friends Are Lonely

Paragon Cause – Making Up For Lost Time

Ottowa’s Paragon Cause kick their 2021 off with ‘Making Up For Lost Time’, the lead-off single from their upcoming album ‘Autopilot’. Aiding and abetting their adventure in the studio was, none other than The Ravonettes’ Sune Rose Wagner.

The single is available to buy on their Bandcamp page.

They have taken the noise and distortion of the Mary Chain and infectious indie-pop of Veronica Falls, Vivian Girls, and Dum Dum Girls to conjure a great juxtaposition of regret and positivity.

Michelle Opthof’s infectious vocals summon the angelic majesty of Alvvays’ Molly Rankin and The Concretes’ Maria Eriksson. Not settling to be just another indie-pop band though, the duo channels this tale of looking back at a “prick” of an ex through the power of fuzzed-up production. It gives their great pop instincts a different dimension to adore.

During lockdown (all of them), it’s been inevitable not to look backward. Anyone who hasn’t reflected upon past relationships is frankly, a sociopath. So, to hear their verses riddled with jealously is heart-warming. To hear it countered with the chorus of “making up for lost time” though is inspirational. They’ve laid their soul bare and in doing so, they have found a blueprint for us all post-covid. One life, live it!

Sunstack Jones – Golden Repair

Liverpool’s Sunstack Jones have released their fourth studio album ‘Golden Repair’. It was recorded and engineered by The Verve’s Simon Jones and produced by Paul Den Heyer. To date, they have been a strikingly consistent band but, is now the time they add the magic?

‘Golden Repair’ is available to buy on their Bandcamp page.

For the most part, said magic is in abundance. ‘Where You Gonna Go’ is a classic Brian Jonestown Massacre forgot to write. The time spent in the studio with Nick McCabe (on the self-titled third album) and Simon Jones has paid dividends. They have a sumptuous ability to emerge languidly from a 3am fog into a morning sun full of George Harrison’s romanticism. It would be a perfect song if it just ambled by but, guitarist Lorcan is clearly in a special head-space, summoning McCabe’s mesmeric fire in the closing moments.

The former single ‘How It All Went Down’ embeds their love of the Canyon scene with lush harmonies alongside ‘Champagne Supernova’ guitars. Maybe this is where we were when we were high? The album’s most angelic moment comes on ‘Distill’. The guitars bridge the gap between The Verve and Lindsey Buckingham, a bridge well worth traversing. The essence of The Coral’s work post-Ryder-Jones looms as the vocals and lyrics subtly deliver an infectious melancholy.

A different but no less substantive power emerges on the title track and ‘Seams’. The former takes Jack White out for a joyride and meets Manassas at a debauched party. It’s a feverish and smoky blues powerhouse that Peter Green is surely smiling down upon. Meanwhile, on ‘Seams’, they unleash the album’s most direct moment. Newcombe’s vitality collides with Richards and Stills in a dead-end bar to produce some spiralling magic.

Clearly, a penchant for the West Coast legends is at their core. However, there are flourishes of Peter Green’s devilment, Harrison’s sweetness, and the spaced-out power of Aphrodite’s Child spliced in. They take ‘Golden Repair’ beyond pastiche to a higher plane. There are, at points, distinct moments of The Verve’s majesty too which, if they could match their unbridled desire, well, who knows where that could take this special band.

The Lottery Winners ft Frank Turner - Start Again

The Lottery Winners have hooked up with punk-folk legend Frank Turner to release the new single ‘Start Again’. The band recorded their part at Giant Wafer Studios in Wales whilst Turner delivered his vocals digitally.

28 days into 2021 and frankly, what’s the point right? Who has energy for anything? Energy for what exactly? Well, not The Lottery Winners and, not national fucking treasure Frank Turner! If this single doesn’t drag you to the brink of changing the world, nothing will.

In the backdrop of Trump being made to look the total cunt that he is, and vaccines breeding hope into society once more, The Lottery Winners have unearthed a blistering piece of euphoric punk rock music.

A tale of leaving the past behind is hard to difficult to grasp from the confines of your bedroom, except, this is where all the great ideas began. Write them, film them, sing them, anything! This world is still there for you to paint with colour, is there for peace to be harnessed in. Get up and start again!

The Coral – Faceless Angel

Merseyside’s favourite sons, The Coral, have returned with their first new music in three years. ‘Faceless Angel’ is the lead-off single from their upcoming double album ‘Coral Island’. Recorded at the legendry Parr Studios in Liverpool, it marks the five pieces next adventure in pop-cum-psychedelia. Will it stack up?

With the swagger of Duane Eddy and the beguiling pop of Lee Hazlewood, you bet your life it stacks up. Johnny Cash’s abrasive licks are met with James Skelly’s iconic vocals. Cool, crisp and indebted to the 60s (and Wirral), Skelly tells tales of forlorn seaside towns and the characters within, whose identities, fade into obscurity.

The Horrors classic ‘Primary Colours’, brought the wild and dank side of the British coast to life. Here, The Coral have painted the fall out of those heady days. Melancholic and despairing, alive but not living, they conjure the images of grey landscapes trapped in yesteryear.

It’s nineteen years since they burst onto the scene with their debut album. They show no signs of slowing down creatively.

Darling Boy – Tea Drinkers of the World

Darling Boy is the creative machinations of multi-instrument Alexander Gold. Having already featured in bands with Carl Barat, films with Topper Headon, and musically directed the All or Nothing musical, Gold is already a star. His latest gift to the world is the single ‘Tea Drinkers of the World’, released on January 29th.

Not many singles can profess to encapsulate the last twelve months and remain euphoric! It’s balled up the hyper emotions of the Covid19 era and batted them away with ecstatic alt-pop joy.

Jagged riffs throb their way to your heart before the synths melt all cynicism away. Elements of Coxon and Super Furry Animals lurk but, this as fresh rock music has sounded, in a generation. It climaxes with thunderous guitars and a screeching cacophony of guitars, illuminating the desperate need to escape the wretched maze we find ourselves in!

This single has it all. Anthemic lyrics, raw emotion and bombastically pounding along at under three minutes. It’s not just what we need, it’s what the human race deserves. It’s less a cuddle, more the intense embrace we know is waiting for us out there.

Redux – Ozzga

Released back in November 2020, ‘Ozzga’ is a  three-track EP hailing from Filipino shoegaze outfit Redux.

You can buy the EP on their Bandcamp page.

There is something oddly heroic about this EP. Little fragments of sound shift gear to signify the good will out. On ‘Zurg’, with MBV’s heart reverberating throughout, they touch upon defiance we could all use right now. Adversity keeps on coming but, their guitars howl back, providing the merest of lights through storm-filled skies.

Meanwhile, on ‘Always’, the drama is intoxicating. A sense of now or never for humanity emanates from their colossal soundscapes. They’ve taken the fragile majesty of Ride’s ‘Vapour Trail’, pissed it off and it’s come back fighting to save our souls.

‘I See When’ launches with LCD Soundsystem’s ‘All My Friends’ riff gently wobbling alongside MBV circa ‘Loveless’ vocals to a short, cinematic, and heavenly noise.

This highly emotive EP needs to be the beginning of a far-reaching album to carry through this year!

Columbia – Waiting For You To Believe

Cardiff’s Columbia have released their latest single ‘Waiting For You To Believe’. Recorded at Kings Road Studios, it’s taken from their upcoming album ‘Embrace The Chaos’.

Decadent guitars join forces with the most robustly defiant vocal you’ll hear this year. In frontman Craig Lewis, there is a raging bull smashing away at the gate for freedom. Not many can carry the devilment of these guitars, in this instance, the guitars just about latch on to his behemoth spirit. When he wrenches ‘took too much and took it again’, the dark glow inside you will brighten. Whilst we care for his health, vulnerable but bullish rock stars are a depleted force.

After just ten seconds, a knowing wink comes from the lead guitar. Something special is imminent! Little gold licks flirt their way through this tale of debauchery. Then, from heaven, comes the divine solo. As though Richards’ devilment made its way into Stephen Stills’ soul in his Manassas period. Dark and satanic, it’s escapism at its best!

Their album ‘Embrace The Chaos is due out this Spring. With this kind of ambition and talent, it’s set to be one of the year’s underdog successes.

The Moons - Pocket Melodies

The Moons followed up on 2014’s ‘Mindwaves’ with ‘Pocket Melodies’ at the back end of last year. After rehearsing live at Black Barnes Studio, they recorded it live in one day at Abbey Road’s Studio 2. Also backed with an orchestra, would this new method stack up to their previous work?

Their love of the Beatles hasn’t diminished. Some may see this as a positive, some may not. Through singer and songwriter Andy Crofts though, they have a creative who can summon melody at a snap of his fingers.  

Bass player Ben Curtis described the intro of ‘Rear Window’ ‘something that should be star Steve Pemberton in Inside No.9 and Reece Shearsmith’. The eerie piano intro develops into the albums standout melody. The crisp soul of Weller’s ‘On Sunset’ and the rustic romance of Ocean Colour Scene’s ‘Spark and Cindy’ are given an orchestral lift to something truly special. The chorus glides by carefree whilst, Crofts’ vocals hit a melodious peak that, only Liam Gallagher’s ‘One of Us’ has rivalled in recent times.

The recording of ‘Pocket Melodies’ was ostensibly working up unfinished songs from the back catalogue. Despite this, their brand of tuneful melancholy brings with it, a narrative of yesteryear and, on ‘Tunnel of Time’ (co-written with Weller) and ‘Where Are You Now?’, the lyrics accompany the sonic.

The former takes stock of the incredible ride Crofts has been on with The On/Offs, The Moons and Paul Weller. Finding his sense of belonging with bands and mod culture, Crofts has got to see the world and do things most of us could only dream off. However, as the tale’s protagonist drifts through space, a yearning to find a new belonging emerges. The acoustic Lennon strumming collides with sumptuous Mick Ronson solos and stunning orchestration to leave you thinking that family life is the healthy anchor to one’s adventures.

‘Where Are You Now?’ is blessed with George Harrison’s effortlessness and timelessness. Uplifting orchestration ambles on by unto a stunning Moody Blues middle eight. All the while, a child contemplates where a parent who left is now. Pensive but beautiful!

‘Pocket Melodies’ is like a group of friends meeting annually to get drunk. No matter the time apart, The Moons slot right back into a groove of great melody and warming embrace.

Georgie - At Home

Nottingham’s Georgie, last year released the impromptu album ‘At Home’. Due to incredible demand, Soul Kitchen Records are now giving it a physical release today (8th January).

You can purchase the album here.

Turn a pop-based radio station on the past 5 years and inevitably, you’ll find someone who sounds like Georgie. That is surface only. Scratch deeper at Georgie and, elements of roots, folk, and blues infiltrate her pop styles. It is though, her ability to lyrically connect that truly marks her out as a great talent.

Like any good songwriter, she has tapped into the mood of the times. Unlike many socially observant writers, she has an innate ability to frame it accessibly.

As lockdown begins again, the current single ‘Simple Things’ will leave most reflecting and teary-eyed. However, such are the pop hooks and elegant key changes that, you’ll go back for the emotional punishment time and time again.

For a vocal so suited to reeling in the masses, the supreme pop hooks stop there. Nevertheless, this album delivers upon the mood of a nation with aplomb, especially when the songs are stripped back.

‘Me and You Only’ comes with wisdom beyond her years as she breaks down a relationship dynamic. The slow build emerges from lockdown with a renewed sense of what is important and thus, a glowing warmth. ‘Company’ nestles her vocals on the pop spectrum between the witching hour ache of Billie Eilish and the pop bombast of Rihanna. The soulful slice of blues highlights her slight gravel beautifully and again, allows the notion of, the best things in life are free to come front and centre.

There are moments though where the album becomes derivative of the mainstream. ‘Chasing Kites’ moves away from The XX and Eilish’s innovation and towards repetitive generic music that has besieged too many of our lives.

To write an album during the first lockdown, about said time and ailing relationships is a remarkable feat of the human spirit. When so many just struggled to exist, Georgie flourished. Her confessional style has a hint of Phil Collins’ pop classic ‘But Seriously…’ to it. At that point, Collins was a 15-year veteran, Georgia is barely a fledgling. A bright future lies ahead.

Cinema Lumiere - Will You Catch Me?

Cinema Lumiere are a Manila-based four-piece made up of Jon Tamayo (vocals/guitar), Manny Gallo (drums), Sue Torrejon (vocals/bass), and Tan Evangelista (guitar).

Their hearts belong to C86 and Sarah’s Records which is always a fine starting point. With that in mind, here is our track by track review:

Love

A glorious riff echoing the love and summer dreams of Brighter and The Wake. Gentle and sweet, it meanders its way through a tale of romantic hopes and dreams that, even the most cynical can’t fail to be moved by.

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The EP is available from their Bandcamp page.

London Tears

A more lo-fi approach but less beautiful. The hazy swirl of guitars emanates an aimless, almost isolated sense of identity. While we mortals have our heads down, stressed, Cinema Lumiere lifts their heads high above the clouds.

The spirit of The Orchids’ ‘It’s Only Obvious’ burns bright here!

Will You Catch Me?

The Style Council’s sun-kissed adventure chimes with the joy of The Pastels on this romantic adventure. The nuggets of brass and the dual vocals bring the EP’s most triumphant moment.

Yet again, they found an outlet for an indie-pop solo to ripple across still water in the evening sun. If another band can bring a sense of peace and sunshine in 2021, then we’re in for a great year (we are owed one!).

Dreamcatcher

Beauty and melancholy collide in this cinematic tale of friends reassuring one another. Skins, This Life, Superbad, The Inbetweeners, and Sex Education, picture any of these coming age tales to these songs and your senses will come alive with glorious montages.

As lockdown rears its ugly head once more, their windswept solo fills the heart with all those you miss and the memories missed. However, their message is one of love so hang in there!

The Red Stains – Freezer Jesus

The Manchester post-punk four-piece have kick-started 2021 with their new single ‘Freezer Jesus’. After being championed by Tom Robinson and Tim Burgess in 2020, can they follow up on their early success?

The single is available on their Bandcamp page.

Their debut single ‘Mannequin’ was littered with post-punk bleeps and, ‘Freezer Jesus’ has upped the ante. The production and keys tentatively emerge before culminating in something far grander, akin to Bugeye’s thrill-seeking debut ‘Ready Steady Bang’. Escorting it there is a sexed-up bassline creating a groove worthy of Ian Brown’s lo-fi debut ‘Unfinished Monkey Business’.

Their attack on shopping as a release from boredom is one well-worn but, they keep fresh by adopting the position of a preacher in the closing stages.

In an era of such uncertainty, their unique and amusing take on the world is sure-fire to inspire new generations to pick up guitars and fight for their futures.

Tindersticks - You'll Have to Scream Louder

The Legendary Tindersticks have returned with a cover version of ‘You’ll Have To Scream Louder’ by their heroes Television Personalities. It’s taken from their forthcoming album ‘Distractions’, due out in 2021 on City Slang Records.

Back in June, with Cummings still at the helm and the cabinet increasingly showing themselves to be out of the depth, frontman Stuart Staples found TVP’s ‘You’ll have to Scream Louder’ stuck in his head. Buoyed on by the frustration of the UK’s failure to deal with Covid, he took to the studio to put his own take on the cult classic.

Staples has taken the anti-Thatcher rhetoric of TVP and retold it from a position of the elder statesmen passing on information to the next generation. Calmer, crisper, and funkier than the original, they’ve perhaps struck upon a clarion call to over 40s to reawaken their protest spirit at this abysmal government.

The focus and imagination on show here mark out ‘Distractions’ as a must-listen for 2021.

The Lutras - Give It Up For Christmas

When was the last genuine dent into the Christmas classic realm? The Darkness? Now, The Lutra’s have thrown their hat into the ring courtesy of ‘Give It Up For Christmas. All proceeds are split between Music Venue Trust (#saveourvenues) and Shelter.

It lacks that truly killer hook to take them into the leagues of Slade and Mud but, the gospel choirs and John Lennon meets Kyle Falconer vocals have it peeping through the window at the greats.

Humble, heartfelt, and crucially, fun, they take you on a frosty walk and arrive at a bouncing brass led party of joy!

It’s been a big and much deserving week of The Lutras. Not only this single, but they also featured on the Brits & Pieces compilation. Both signifying a bright future with much adulation coming their way.

In Earnest - In Earnest

Southend’s In Earnest has been making a name for themselves in 2020 with enlightening tales of mental illness. They recently self-released their eponymous debut EP, can they continue to push the boundaries?

The three-piece centre around the songwriting partnership (and couple) of Sarah Holburn and Thomas Eatherton. They’re a band with a purpose, that purpose being to open a dialogue around mental health and, in former singles ‘Put Me Under’ and ‘Come Upstairs’, they do just that.

‘Put Me Under’ focuses on Holburn’s chronic anxiety and depression, conditions that prevent her from holding down regular jobs. She goes a long way to paint the perspective of anxiety sufferers. The awareness of what should but can’t be done builds a tension full of integrity. The isolation she suffers Is captured hauntingly with the line ‘You are everywhere and nowhere / just don’t put me under your spell’.

Meanwhile, ‘Come Upstairs’ follows Eatherton’s struggles to cope in the relationship. Eatherton depicts himself as ‘woefully unprepared” which leads him to the despair of “there is a war in every silence’.  Despite inner torment, he manages to conjure a Smiths-esque moment of beauty amid the darkness to enrich the soul:

“We could both lock lips / On this sinking ship, watch it all go down / We could seal our fate / On a frozen lake, and just drown”

Their lyrics are so powerful that, It’s easy to overlook the music on offer. There is though, a rich tapestry to draw from. ‘29’ taps into Ryan Adams’ celestial guitar playing and the warmth of I Am Kloot. The nodes of Celtic folk bring King Creosote and Tom Williams to the fore. Dear Father Christmas, please put In Earnest In a studio with Guy Garvey and let them carve out aching lullabies.

‘Come Upstairs’ showcases guitar player Toby Shaer’s love of Bon Iver and John Martyn. Holburn switches up her vocals from the angelic Julien Baker (‘Put Me Under’) and the rousing Laura Marling-esque ‘Fables’. On ‘Fables’, they drift effortlessly into the ethereal territory of Cocteau Twins. They are a band with an arsenal of ethereal weapons.  

In Earnest have the songs, they have the talent but, crucially, they have the one thing stadium selling artists can spend a lifetime grappling with. Truth. Their tracks read like diary entries and serve as thought-provoking pieces of art.  There’s no pretense and no overreaching for something miraculous. They don’t seek to light up the muddy river beds of Southend, rather, they have become part of the fabric of Southend with these robust but fragile tales.

Redwood – Honey Sauce

Redwood is the machinations of West Midlands multi-instrumentalist Ellie Williams. At the end of November, she released her latest single ‘Honey Sauce’, recorded at the legendary Rockfield Studios.

The opening moments do no justice to the power and pop prowess of this record. What tentatively begins as 6music fodder, soon sparks into something incredibly vital. Although musically worlds apart, it has the feel of an early track by The Coral. The kitchen sink is the first thing to be thrown as she twists and turns melodies inside out.

Lyrically, Williams is venting about a failed relationship that she lacked closure on. The mental torment of the line ‘I wish you’d get up and move out of mind’ rages with volatility that belies the sheer beauty of her vocals.

Williams may just be starting out but, this is the work of a third album national treasure.  

The Winachi Tribe - Time For Love (Dave Tolan remix)

Warrington’s Winachi Tribe arrived at the peak of Tory austerity. Their brand of disco grooves and love fuelled house couldn’t have been more aptly timed. Five years on, they have returned with a Dave Tolan (Primal Scream, Tears For Fears) remix of their debut single ‘It’s Time For Love’. Can they provide the tonic we’re all craving again?

Smiling through the tears, they keep on moving on. The guitars shimmering like Rodgers and Marr alongside the pop ecstasy of Donna Summer. Human League’s infectious production sparkles alongside a Sumner-esque solo. This is everything the second summer of love was about and more.

Frontman Liam Croker’s gravelly vocals give it a brashness that can only come from England’s North West. Tough but loving, he injects a working-class funk that was born to be adored.

Five years on, they have yet again provided the tonic. A hopeful bridge to lead us to the vaccine.

Four Crooks - Black Magic

Hailing from Telford, Four Crooks is a four-piece indie rock band. During lockdown, they regrouped to a remote farmhouse to record their new EP ‘Black Magic’.

Title track ‘Black Magic’ is a foray into the Black Keys big riff catalogue. While it may start with a big base, and. Whilst Dave Morris is a clear vocal talent, the track fails to ignite any real excitement.

‘Feel Alright’ and ‘Paranoia’ though, are bristling with the potential that gets you up in the morning. ‘Feel Alright’ takes adventurous production and big riffs on a drug-fuelled night out that no one will remember.  It’s a solo away from going somewhere truly special.

‘Paranoia’ doesn’t miss this opportunity. Eamon Russell’s guitars deliver total psychedelic carnage! The harder edges of the verses allow for Morris to be the emotive link between the band and soon to be massive venues.

*Image courtesy of Dan Bradley

Twist Helix - Machinery

Newcastle’s Twist Helix have returned with their second album ‘Machinery’. Released via Paul Back Music, it follows up on their 2018 concept album ‘Ouseburn’. Last time out, the focus was upon the artistic community in their hometown. This time, they have honed in on their experiences in the music industry.

Euphoria courses through the veins of this album. None more so than on the opening tracks ‘Louder’ and ‘Host’. The former injects the aching beauty of Chvrches with an unparalleled level of dynamism. Shedding light on being ignored as a woman in the industry, especially the live circuit (“overlooked and underbooked”), they combine the fire of punk with undeniable pop and sheer ecstasy that only electronica can provide.

‘Ghost’, plays with a tempo more but, musically, leads you to nirvana in scintillating style. Nights out, gigs, and looking back nostalgically are going to be soundtracked to the closing moments. Bea Garcia’s vocals are a behemoth in stature and the crescendo of drums thunder are brimming with a power that all should bow to.

The euphoria dissipates on ‘Vultures’ but, the powerful rhetoric skyrockets. It’s a vicious Primal Scream ‘Evil Heat’ era swipe at the Weinstein’s of the world for abusing their power. Anger and righteous indignation threaten to overflow as Garcia’s venom launches ‘chews you up, spits you out, he's a vulture’. The #metoo didn’t need a soundtrack but, it has one now!

It’s not all about the euphoria and lyrical polemic though. Twist Helix amply breaks the album up with the spoken word facets of ‘Festival Season’ and the instrumental ‘Transmission’. The latter taking Pendulum for walkthrough 80s clad ‘Stranger Things’ providing a moment to behold.

‘Machinery’ for all its power, perhaps lacks the true killer hooks to take them to the top of festival bills. However, it has a vitality and integrity that demands serious attention on the main stages when festivals are allowed to return. ‘Machinery’ and ‘Exposure’ begin to flirt with the universal appeal of The Killers in their early days. Might this album be their ‘Modern Life Is Rubbish’ or ‘100 Broken Windows moment? The riot before the masterpiece, only time will tell, but, our money is on yes!

*Image courtesy of Paul Murray Media

Ocean Flaws – Spirit Level

Essex outfit Ocean Flaws returned last month with their latest single ‘Spirit Level’. The DIY outfit had great success with their previous offering ‘Deep Sea Dreaming’, can they kick on?

This is pop music at its finest. Instantaneous? Check. Melodic? Check. Furthermore, like all the great top ten hits from the UK, it slips darker themes under the radar. Your parents will unknowingly singalong, while younger generations think about the descending love affair at play.

Bristling with the alt-pop of Blossoms, they intertwine sublimely eerie synths and heaven-sent vocals to provide a serious contender for single of the year. Callum Quirk’s vocals pay homage to Tom Ogden but never rehash. Quirk possesses a huskier devilment which, allows him to insinuate something more sinister.

‘Spirit Level’ was almost scuppered by lockdown one back in March. Thankfully, Ocean Flaws had the desire to power on and deliver a serious contender for single of the year.