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:

The Winachi Tribe - Parasitical Elimination

Warrington’s Winachi Tribe are back with their new EP ‘Parasitical Elimination’. A collaborative remix piece was recorded between their own studio and LA with producer John X at the Earthstar Creation Centre.

Last time out, we saw their love of Chic and Johnny Marr soar across sun-drenched climates on ‘Time For Love’. This time out, they match the style but dial up the attitude. Throughout the EP, there is a sense of zero fucks given. The title track has the accessibility of Massive Attack effortlessly colliding with Prince Fatty to conjure an indomitable dub groove. Rather than just stay on this glorious track, they lift the soundsystem to higher planes with the injection of Asian Dub Foundation’s aggression. It adds sonic defiance that few can match!

‘Sense of Drama’ sees the band rejoice in their North West heritage. The lo-fi guitars of Aziz Abraham chime with a bugged-out and melodic homage to Rob Collins.

When frontman Liam Croker interjects, business picks up. His husky, almost whispered vocals strike a menacing tone that Death in Vegas would revel in. It’s Croker’s Bobby Gillespie ability sporadically and expertly join the affray where his genius lay. It heightens everything and takes the ego out of what is clearly a big talent.

‘A Room With a Zoo’ is yet another beast to contend with. The soul-pop sensibilities of Pharrell Williams are taken on a dank journey into the North West’s underground scene. Croker’s vocals cut through the tension and beckon you into a world of trepidation. Its trippy funk and soul for the witching hour taps into Daft Punk and the Stranger Things score to conjure one of the finest tracks of the year.

Their debut album is due for release later this year and, with this array of quality, has to be a late runner for album of the year.

The Shakes: Shiiine On Festival

Some bands you like, some bands you love, then, there are bands like The Shakes. The type that walks on stage mortal and leaves it immortal. After two years away, Shiiine On festival returned and, its loyal following would have been forgiven for ignoring the new bands. It didn’t. 

The London-Liverpool express opened up Centre Stage on the Friday to a big crowd and did not disappoint. Not since The Strokes and The Libertines have band looked this good and seemed this important.

The clothes, looks, and crucially, the tunes. They are now the zeitgeist!

‘Watch It’ struts with the r’n’b Small Faces and the far-reaching ambition of a young Liam Gallagher. ‘Lost Along the Way’ traverses the sodden world of ‘Guanga Gin’, the poetic soul of Morrison, and the grooves of The Ordinary Boys to create a truly magical moment! Meanwhile, on ‘I’m Your Man’, they deliver an infectious piece of rock ‘n’ roll that makes aging men in the crowd wish they could be 18 again and every woman fall in love with them.

Their scintillating majesty is led by frontman Zak Nimmo. Beautiful like a young Jagger, he moves like no one you have ever seen. From northern soul to RnB to borderline breakdancing, Nimmo doesn’t demand your attention, he takes it! Seemingly love the child of Brian Jones and Mick Jagger, Nimmo is the icon rock ‘n’ roll so desperately needs. Confident and substantive. He can tap into Liam’s melodic soul, the tenacity of Marriot, and the all-blaze riot of Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist.

Their next show at Camden’s Fiddlers Elbow is not to be missed!

*Image courtesy of the band

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.

Afflecks Palace – What Do You Mean It’s Not Raining

“Every second of the album drips perfect lysergic melodic and simmering summer tunes…9/10” – Louder Than War / John Rob

 Manchester’s Afflecks Palace have been on one hell of a charge this past two years. Not content with launching their label Spirit of Spike Island, looking after the rising star of Pastel, they have now self-released their debut album ‘What Do You Mean It’s Not Raining’. Never let it be said the youth of today are lazy!

You can buy the album from Spirit of Spike Island.

It may have been recorded at James Kenoshas studio in Hull and mastered by John Davies at Metropolis in London but, it’s very much a Manchester album. Forget rehash, this is a recreation for the famous city from the ground up for 2021.

‘Capre Diem’ and ‘Pink Skies’ are fine clarion calls and, burn with a unique rage. Both clutch The Roses and Smiths to their hearts. There’s a spirit, a raging desire to be heard, to be brilliant and to be loved! The former, sprinkled with the brash parts of The La’s and the infectious moments of Ride’s comeback will disarm the most hardened souls as its buoyant charm races to your serotonin.  

On ‘Pink Skies’, they serve up sun drenched imagery and poetry so blissful, it’s inevitable the masses don’t flock to them. Working class anthems haven’t sounded this good since Tom Clarke’s gritty Coventry tales burned bright in 2007. Like Clarke, frontman James Fender has a knack of his digging his heels in and making it sound joyous. No one is stopping his dreams! Where they differ from The Enemy is, Afflecks Palace have deafness of touch. The angelic vocals and feather light guitars smile at the naysayers. All the while, their propulsive polemic strives for glory:

“The pyramid is ten feet tall
Shall we climb it, risk the fall?
Steal the rusty copper crown”

This is an album that far outreaches its Manchester roots though. A huge slice of the Laurel Canyon scene infiltrates its beauty. ‘Ripley Jean’ is an effortless Byrdsian meander into sun-kissed landscapes. The rapid-fire licks and Fender’s Alan Wilson-esque (Canned Heat) vocals serve this adventure well. The accelerated guitars keep on coming via the Johnny Marr-inspired ‘Forever Young. Meanwhile, on album opener ‘This City Is Burning Alive’, an array of McGinn and Clark guitar parts erupt into life to make the laissez-faire psyche of seem Tame Impala extinct.

Then, on ‘Spinner’, comes the moment that will catapult the band to superstardom. Everything you thought you liked about The Lathums dissipates here. They have eclipsed their (fine) Wigan peers’ infectious sound with this bubblegum pop classic. Witty and humble, this heaven-sent reincarnation of Sally Cinnamon via Ride’s ‘Future Love’ is beset with joyous vocal inflections and a freeing nature so pure, its more intoxicating than MDMA.

Some are dubbing them ‘nu-Manchester’, what we know is, they have found a way to reimagine the past in 2021. So many have striven to be like the greats, Afflecks have found space in their slipstream on this debut. How soon they can overtake remains to be seen but, their Destiney clearly lies alongside them at least!

*Images courtesy of Spirit of Spike Island

Pastel - Deeper Than Holy

Manchester’s Pastel recently released their debut EP ‘Deeper Than Holy’ via the label of the moment Spirit of Spike Island. It follows the colossal, Andy Bell endorsed ‘She Waits For Me’. Can it match its power?

Go buy their EP from Spirit of Spike Island here.

Title track ‘Deeper Than Holy’ eloquently follows in its footsteps. The trippy ‘Life’s An Ocean’ guitars and Blake-esque power of the lyrics elevate the best moments of The Verve to the fore.

‘Run Rabbit Run’ delivers another slice of powerful psyche music. They’ve taken Cream for a 4am walk through the northern quarter and it’s intoxicating. The short splices of Squire combine with the modern-day baggy pioneers like Big

Image and The Utopiates to keep their spiralling propulsion traversing new planes.

The power of these two tracks needs brevity and on ‘Blu’ and Where We Go’ they do not disappoint. The former, taps into Oasis’ groove on their cover of Cartouche’s ‘Better Let You Know’ whilst, gently unfurling like Mock Turtles and climaxing in The Twang’s swagger. Lyrically, it’s the EP’s most freeing moment. We defy you not to readdress your life as Jack Yates proclaims ‘I was waiting for something / But I had nothing / but I had nothing to lose…….It’s getting better/ And higher’.

Meanwhile, ‘Where We Go’ reignites the c86 movement with the beauty of Felt and the jagged drive of Servant.  Arguably, it’s a song that defines this generation of dreamers more than any other (along with label mates Afflecks Palace and Coventry’s The Institutes). Kicked, maligned, and locked up, their songwriting has been born out of utter frustration and has come to set us free.

Bands like these are so vital right now. More so than Joy Division, The Smiths, The Roses, and Oasis. The aforementioned had a carrot dangled. They knew that, if they could produce, then they would be rewarded. Today, bands face a race to the bottom. Spotify believes its model is morally justifiable. It isn’t! Pastel are making good new music but, furthermore, they are going to succeed despite an industry intent on denying them a future!

*Image courtesy of Matthew Enyon

In Earnest: Chinnerys, Southend

Southend’s In Earnest played their first headline gig at their iconic hometown (city) venue of Chinnerys last week.

Images courtesy of Rob Humm & the band.

October the 9th marked their release of their stunning EP ‘Reasons to Stay Alive’. A seamless piece of music that delves into the struggles of mental health in relationships. Not content with the challenge of recording the EP, of challenging discourse, in this fashion, their creative chops were again at full capacity. Playing the EP fully with seamless transitions was a joy to watch. Whilst physically, it may have looked frantic at points but, the guitar and pedal switches were delivered with aplomb. It added a bigger sense of drama to already tumultuous tracks like ‘I Feel Alone Even If I’m Not’ and ‘Hands Are Tied’.

They come as a collective but, it’s Sarah Holbourn’s voice are that people leave talking about. The harrowing lyrics are met with heaven-sent vocals to forge the most intimate of bonds with the Southend crowd. On ‘Put Me Under’, she drifts from Laura Marling to Phoebe Bridgers whilst songwriting partner Thomas Eatherton’s guitars shimmer with Bon Iver’s majesty.

Eatherton’s guitars, eloquent throughout, stack up to Holbourn’s beauty on several occasions. Whether it be the Ryan Adams-tinged ‘29’, the Cocteau Twins dreaminess of ‘Fables’, or the dreampop meets Billy Bragg, he has an ability to know when to let things breathe around him.

With another show at The Amersham Arms tomorrow and a film launch with Rooskin’s Rob Humm to supplement the EP in November, this is a band with serious creative chops that should not be missed.

The Institutes - Colosseums

The Institutes, hailing from Coventry, release their debut album ‘Colosseums’ Friday 22nd October via 42s Records. After a string of anthemic singles behind them, can the album live up to the expectation?

Images and artwork courtesy of End of the Trail Creative.

For two years, The Institutes have been rapidly closing the gap between them and DMA’s in terms of quality fuzzed-up singalongs. Like their Australian counterparts, they have a knack for making a specific tale mean all things to all people. Former singles ‘Something Beautiful’ and ‘I Just Can’t Keep Myself From Loving You’ being the finest exponents of this. The former is a tale of a relationship breakup where a child is involved. The power of the love for the child is so intoxicating it lends itself to addiction or a burning desire to make it in life. ‘I Just Can’t Keep Myself From Loving You’ follows a similar path where the protagonist demonstrates a breath-taking imbalance. It’s a tidal way sent to blow you away! Both songs befit their ethereal sonic but, lurking within are short muscular guitars and Reni-likes drums intensifying the power.

This writing capability allows for such a greater emotional pull when they do hone in on a discourse. ‘Feels Like Rain Again’, colossal in sound, tackles fog that clouds the mind in moments of mental torment. The protagonist’s journey is one of struggle (“I don’t if I’m Jekyll or Hyde”) to one of the finest contrast in music, ever. As frontman Reid Zappa Currie decrees “this is a part of me”, the guitars swirl with such majesty that, it’s as though our hero has come to terms with the problems. Reid’s delivery though is a triumph of the human spirit. Wrenched from the soul, it carries so much pain that you can hear his soul fragmenting.

Their more precise songwriting style culminates in the album closer ‘Better Now’. The third act resolution of the journey trickles hazily into view with early Nick McCabe guitars before ascending to DMA’s glory and beyond. The cinematic climax is signed off with Kirk Savage’s eruption of drums and cacophony of guitars providing a truly cathartic moment for mind, body, and soul.

It is, by no means an exaggeration to state, that every song here is an anthem. They walk the tightrope of mass melodic appeal and artistic integrity searching for new pastures. ‘Inside Out’ takes the inspiration summer fading sounds of Soundtracks of Our Lives to new planes. ‘Alleyways’, musically battles between the forlorn nature of ‘Listen Up’ and the effervescent spirit of ‘Sally Cinnamon. All the while, it humbly taps into the nostalgic mind of people and, reflects upon carefree childhood relationships. Meanwhile, ‘Heal In Time’ is an urgent burst of hope with The La’s and Ride in their hearts.

On and on this joy goes on ‘Colosseums’. This album’s spirit is nothing short of heroic. Its quality vastly towers over its peers. The majors have come sniffing around bands of late, their choices, eyebrow-raising to say the least. The Institutes have been ignored to date. However, not by Lammo, John Kennedy, and Tom Robinson. Not by us, now, it’s time for you, the people to go send them to the top and make their journey the stratospheric one it merits.

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.

In Earnest - Reasons To Stay Alive

Southend’s In Earnest is back with a new EP ‘Reasons To Stay Alive’. Released on the 8th of October, it follows their fine self-titled EP back from 2020. Can the new release stack up to its formers emotive power?

Images and artwork courtesy of the band.

The EP comes in a seamless form, the band’s effort to reflect the cyclical nature of the time period it was recorded in and, the difficulties of breaking free from living with mental illness. Musically, it is leagues ahead of the debut.; The strings and the guitar licks have a broader appeal which, when the lyrics get personal, is a welcomed offset.

Suicide attempts shouldn’t come wrapped in such packages like ‘Days In Between’. Such is the astonishing beauty of their Laura Marling meets Phoebe Bridgers sonic. This tale, built on the premise of what would have been missed, has the same pin drop ability of a ‘Songbird’. The anguish of Sarah Holbourn singing the line ‘seeing my mother's pain’ is almost too much to bear.

On ‘Welcome to Hope County’, co-writer and guitarist Thomas Eatherton offers up his struggle to come to terms with their relationship. The ability to be this honest, with your partner in the band, knowing the anxiety that could come with it is remarkable. Eatherton, sings with such humble heartfelt honesty alongside Bill Bragg guitars and folk orchestration, it will leave you hollow. It is though, in the closing moments this song’s genius lies. Akin to Noah & The Whale’s ‘Blue Skies’, the injection of pace offers a chink of light. The guitars glisten and the strings have a spring-like quality. Then Eatherton bellows ‘my head is in my hands again / there are reasons to stay alive’ and they bring the cyclical nature of mental torment and this EP crashing home.   

The subject matter has been crucial to the band to date. However, on ‘I Feel Alone Even If I’m Not’ and ‘Hands Are’, their musicality has broadened to match the eloquence of their lyrics. The former taps into folk classicism to create an icy tinged folk gem. Meanwhile, on ‘Hands Are Tied’, they harness bath style and substance exquisitely. Smoky guitar licks sitting between Billy Bragg and Richard Hawley gently paint landscapes of woe before the song explodes into life.

As music lovers, we’re all guilty of escapism. Whether it be a forlorn Marr riff, a raging Frank Turner couplet, or a wayward wobble of an Orbital synth, there’s a place to reside in for hope and rebellion. With this EP, In Earnest has shown another way. They’ve turned themselves inside out for the world to see. In doing so, they have brought about a different kind of inclusion. When Holbourn confesses ‘I’m taking my pills, doing my time / pour my heart out in a song / the only thing I know is I don't think I can go on’, she emboldens the view that, it’s ok to not be ok.

 This band and EP deserve your respect if nothing else. They are a triumph of the human spirit. This is the most selfless piece of art you will engage in of 2021.

You can hear the EP here.

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.

Rooskin – Eloise

Fresh from their stunning live show at Chinnerys, Southend’s Rooskin release their new single ‘Eloise’. Can it match up to their dreamy debut EP ‘Honey Spells’?

Image and artwork courtesy of Neat Siren PR.

Despite the gloom of cvoid, their ability to conjure a sonic drenched in the summertime hasn’t diminished. Between Rob and Matt’s guitars and ethereal keys of Buddy Caderni, they summon the sun easier than Helios. Not even Kurt Vile has this access!

As with their live show, ‘Eloise’ goes to another level because of the spirit they invoke. They’ve funnelled ‘Teenage Kicks’ through their lo-fi genius of ‘Living Proof’ and sprinkled it with their psychedelic surf sound.

Their youthful buoyancy is echoed lyrically with a newfound hope:

“It’s the longest I’ve been without needing to pretend, that my luck / It ain’t running out”

As we approach the last throes of summer, let Rooskin provide suspiciously high levels of serotonin with their angelic fuzz and sun-kissed charm.

Civic Green – A Million Little Pieces

This Friday, South Yorkshire’s Civic Green return with their new single ‘A Million Little Pieces’. Can they follow up on the working class glory of ‘City Streets’?

Escapist rock ‘n’ roll is always needed but, after the incarceration of the last 18months, it’s should be prescribed on the NHS. Civic Green tossed their hat into the ring with this debauched affair! The directness of lyrics such as ‘if I don’t leave this house today / I think I’ll go fucking insane’ are delivered with the disdain we’ve all felt.

A growing confidence is permeating their work now too:

“these strangers keep on coming back for more / I don’t want to leave them lonely”

Images of desperate indie fans pawing at doors, waiting for gigs and clubs to drink, dance, and sweat themselves to happiness flood to the surface.

Musically, they are clearly striving for a bigger sonic. Subtle licks lurk as their wall of sound builds to a destructive climax. What they drop in intricacy from their previous work, they raise in spirit and, at this early stage, to be able to switch from Noel to The Enemy and now, to the pulsating end of The Seahorses catalogue, marks them out as a much watch band.

Check back on Friday to hear the single.

*Images courtesy of Puffer Fish PR

Daniel Wylie’s Cosmic Rough Riders - Atoms and Energy

Glasgow’s Daniel Wylie has released his ninth studio album ‘Atoms and Energy’. Recorded at La Chunky Studios, it is released via Last Night From Glasgow. With help from Neil Sturgeon, Johnny Smillie, and Stu Kidd, Wylie attempts to follow the loud guitar splendour of 2017’s ‘Scenery For Dreamers’.

The album is available to buy at Last Night From Glasgow.

This time out, the Young and Blake guitars, for the most part, take a back seat as Wylie examines death and past relationships. ‘Heaven’s Waiting Room’ encapsulates Reiner’s ‘Stand By Me’ as he revisits his formative years and just how quickly they fade. A devastating melancholy permeates Wylie’s psyche as he sings ‘I try, I try to do things right / not everybody has their day’.

The darkness continues on ‘The Bruises and the Blood’. A tale of domestic violence and the helplessness of a friend. The imagery is brutal but, Wylie has an innate gift to release the tension with melody. The joy in the keys and the Beach Boys breakdown offset the heavy lyrics and tense bass licks.  

The ability to juxtapose dark and light hits its peak on ‘A Memory’. Channelling the guitars of ‘Down By The River’ Wylie takes a soul at its lowest ebb and, frees it with the majesty of George Harrison. Layer upon layer of emotion builds and paints difficult images of a man in the darkness not knowing how to get out.  

Despite the overarching grief and regret, on ‘Saddle up the Horses’, there comes a need release, an indicator that this soul searching has found itself and begins to enrich. Wylie takes himself to his childhood and dreams of being a cowboy hero. The acoustic guitars rain down like glitter whilst the electric guitars are filled with glee.

The move away from raucous guitars has given Wylie the space to let his emotions flow and toy with new ideas. From the Santana-inspired guitars of ‘God Is Nowhere’ or the sinister REM infused ‘Ruth the Truth’, he has proven his worth as a songwriter. It’s the album’s melody where its greatness lay. No matter the mood or subject, Wylie can pivot to a happier sonic and thus, allows each song to develop greater depth and value.

Fightmilk - Contender

London’s Fightmilk released their second album ‘Contender’ via Reckless Yes Records back in May. It followed the acclaimed punk-pop offering ‘Not With That Attitude’, could it stack up?

Images courtesy of Reckless Yes Records.

In 2020, they set tongues wagging with two astonishing singles ‘I’m Starting To Think You Don’t Even Want to go to Space’ and ‘If You Had Sister’. With Pulp’s ‘Do You Remember The First Time’ in its heart, examined those who continually make excuses for not saving the world. Witty and incisive lyrics are met with Feeder’s indie-rock immediacy on this explosive anthem! ‘If You Had Sister’ is a more sombre animal. Singer Lily Rae’s vocals ache with melancholy as toxic masculinity is explored. Lead guitarist Alex’s solo is a fine accompaniment to this troublesome anthem. The eruption of noise and fuzz exemplifies the pain and confusion of the protagonist with exemplary integrity.

To achieve classic album status, the album tracks running in tandem must also strive for greatness. ‘Banger #4’, ‘You Are Not The Universe’ and ‘Cool Cool Girl’ have said tracks. ‘Banger #4’ does exactly what it says on the tin! The guitars fizz with punk’s uniting spirit whilst Rae summons a fury to marvel at. For a generation given nothing but blamed for everything, Rae is their cultural leader. Defiant and blessed with stadium-sized punk sloganeering Frank Turner would die for:

“there’s more to life / than getting it right / you’re gonna be alright”

Their courage and belief in themselves and, furthermore, this generation, is a middle finger salute to the narrow-minded and, pick me up the downtrodden.

‘You Are Not The Universe’ is a stomping adventure to soundtrack a million coming of age stories. Ironically, they juxtapose this with a letter to a younger self to be more appreciative. Nevertheless, it remains a chest-beating, fall to the floor wild storm that demands your love. The melodic genius of Rae as she decrees “had ideas above my station / firing fury out into the dark” feels less advisory and more clarion call. Meanwhile, ‘Cool Cool Girl’, with the shimmering licks of Ash, eloquently and hilariously sarcastically, examines female bands become something they’re not:

“I’m interesting and I’m clever/ I’m always be a contender because I’m not like other girls”

It is though, in the closing stages where something truly magical occurs. Rae’s impassioned delivery showcases a raw power which, offers a blueprint to the outsiders, the underdogs, and the written-off on how to raise souls and save lives:

“I’m into wrestling / I’m clever / I’m always be bartender / because I’m not like other girls”

Among the punk anthems sits ‘Girls Don’t Want To Have Fun’. A Johnny Marr meets The Killers track to echo through eternity. Rae summons the heart of Kirsty McColl and the angelic torture of ‎Dolores O'Riordan on the reincarnation of ‘There Is A Light That Never Goes Out’. Beauty and sorrow collide in the orchestration and delicate guitar licks but, it’s Rae’s lyrics that provide the pin-drop moment:

“when we talk about dying it feels like a pipe dream”

Forget about Morrissey!

This album is nothing short of a triumph. It will bash your soul, break your heart and patch you up mentally, emotionally, and intellectually better than ever! In every sense a contender, especially for album of the year.

Lucigenic – Still Breathing

Manchester supergroup Lucigenic are back with their second single ‘Still Breathing’. Produced by legendary producer Mike Bennett (The Fall / Fat White Family / Ian Brown), ‘Still Breathing’ was engineered at Farheath Studios with Angus Wallace and features dual drumming from Dave Barbarossa (Bow Wow Wow, Republica) and Simon Wolstencroft (The Fall/Ian Brown). 

Back in February, lockdown was taking a stranglehold on the nation’s soul. Lucigenic put the powerfully ethereal single ‘Hope’. A stunning release of tension via singer Lucy Wyatt’s Mark Greaveny-esque vocals.

This time out, the pedal has hit the metal! Aggressive ‘Raw Power’ guitars are met by Wyatt’s colossal Patti Smith vocals. Reinventing the wheel is not on the menu. but is a firm reminder that the wheel can be a force more than cheap fame.

Their exasperation at social media “heroes” is never embittered, nor do they ever yearn for yesteryear like the hapless hacks of GB News. Moreover, ‘Rocks’, Cigarettes and Alcohol’ and ‘21st Century Boy’ are beefed up and renewed for a new breed of defiance and grafting cultural icon.

Wave upon wave of guitar licks thrust themselves at you like gunfire. It’s an onslaught like no other. Then, when all is lost, comes the ecstatic backing vocals to usher in Mark Refoy’s (Spiritualized/Spacemen 3) scintillating solo. With the spirit of ‘Easy Rider’ and the face-melting genius of Death Valley Girls in his heart, he has summoned the devil for a night out on the town!

This is an astonishing change of direction from ‘Hope’. One can only imagine where this supergroup is going next. What ‘Still Breathing’ proves is, it’s a must-listen destination.

Desperate Journalist – Maximum Sorrow

Last month, London’s Desperate Journalist released their fourth LP ‘Maximum Sorrow’. Released via Fierce Panda, it was self-produced and engineered by Rollo Smallcombe at Crouch End Studios.

Having made the conscious decision to not repeat the rock-pop classic ‘In Search of the Miraculous’, could they reinvent themselves without losing way?

Previous singles ‘Fault’ and ‘Personality Girlfriend’ (among others) put bass player Simon Drowner front and centre. A destructive rage permeates his playing for almost the entirety of the album. The former throbs with a disdain we’ve all felt to those who abandoned leadership in the past eighteen months. On the latter, a punky-disco stomp akin to Bugeye shakes. All the while, singer Jo Bevan’s incredible ability to carry polemic via a gripping narrative reaches new heights. The closing stages adopt Idlewild’s ‘In Remote Part / Scottish Fiction’ complex cacophony of spoken word and guitars but, with a devastating psychedelic annihilation!

It is though, on ‘Utopia’, ‘Fine In The Family’ and ‘Was It Worth It?’ where they nail their new sound. ‘Utopia’ delivers the risk and reward Wolf Alice couldn’t land on their third album. The hints of shoegaze bring about an emotional to proceedings and thus, Bevan’s ethereal vocals beckon, almost summon you into the unknown. ‘Fine in the Family’ is the polar opposite sonically. Tapping into the violence of Asylums’ ‘Napalm Bubblegum’ as Drowner’s bass yet again taps a thunderous vein of form. Meanwhile, ‘Was It Worth It?’ with perhaps a lyrical nod to The Waterboys, strides out to their sorrowful heartlands with a brutal intensity not even The Chameleons could match. The protagonist, an anguished soul lost in a city of darkness with hope dissipating becomes the perfect parable for lockdown:

“they’re all endless roads / On a dismal island”

You can buy the record on their Bandcamp page.

Just when ferocity borders on the all-consuming, they provide a momentary release on ‘Poison Pen’ and ‘Victim’. ‘Poison Pen’, with its ecstatic immediacy and venomous lyrics, creates a polemic and defiance legions would follow. ‘Victim’, a torturous tale of repression and depression is lit up by guitars that could glisten in a thunderstorm. Bevan is faultless. Angelic to punk in an instant, a vocal talent at the peak of her powers

Four albums in, the creative well shows no signs of drying up. Basslines akin to wrecking balls and vocals from the gods, they have nodded at the majesty of ‘Miraculous…’ and said an amicable farewell. An album written in lockdown had the potential to be a lacklustre album from the tour bus; insular and lacking intelligent exploration. Not here, not Desperate Journalist. Every word vitriol, torment, and bile is despatched with wit, intelligence, and charm.

*Image and artwork courtesy of Fierce Panda Records.