Gazelle – Magic Carpet Ride

Leicester’s Gazelle have returned with a brand new single ‘Magic Carpet Ride’. Recorded at Hope Mill Recording Studios, Manchester, it was produced by Matt Cotterill and the video features the iconic Danielle Watson (Trev, This Is England).

Their last material was released back in 2019 ad it saw them on blistering form. ‘Guilt Trip Gun’ was death-defying and ‘Finger on the Trigger’ was social commentary destined for big stages. If There was a criticism, it was their lane that remained full throttle which masked their great lyrics too often.

Upon return, the bombast and relentless flow remain but, now they spliced with the glory of Spencer David Group’s ‘Keep On Running’ and the affection of The Isley Brothers. The romance of 60s Motown is put through the prism of gritty UK life and, with lysergic Johnny Marr guitar licks lurking, has found a fuller sonic which will inevitably launch them towards bigger audiences.

Gazelle head out on tour next month. Click the image for tickets:

Psiran – Elevate

Psiran are a Bristol-based duo made up of singer and lyricist, Ivy Cairo and producer, composer, and drummer, Emma Holbrook. After meeting in Montpellier and bonding over music, they spent the past two years making their debut album ‘Elevate’.

You can buy the album from their Bandcamp page.

As of yesterday morning, Putin’s vile regime entered Ukraine and began war. Life, as we know it will seemingly never be the same again. It is, unfortunately, but inevitably through this prism, we view this stunning album.

Even at its most beautiful, ‘Elevate’ occupies a dystopian landscape. ‘Pause for Thought’ has a post-apocalyptic ‘1984’ sense of dread coursing through the synths and production. Alongside the Portishead-esques drums and pianos, Cairo builds isolation lyrically ‘All us waifs and strays / Each and every one of us / Floating, falling stumbling along”. Meanwhile, title track ‘Elevation’ it’s hard to escape the inexcusable actions of Putin as Cario decrees ‘they’re calling for quiet / searching for silence’. The track throbs with dissatisfaction but, it doent’t just lay down. A flicker of uprising comes via the celestial orchestration and Cairo’s ability to vocally sit between Dolores O’Riordan and Roisin Murphy.

On ‘Girl Lost’ and ‘The Show’, that hope is ignited into full-scale rebellion. The former is an awakening of hope. A lost soul is offered a helping hand through the explosive drum ‘n’ bass climax. Oozing with love and defiance, they draw a line in the sand and say no further to their ills. With red lines made, ‘The Show’ strides into town resplendent with Radio 4’s (the band) ‘Stealing of a Nation’ bombast to announce the good guys are winning through an illuminating Depeche Mode synth solo.

There are two great post-battle moments on the album. ‘Frozen Frames’, offers Cairo’s best vocal by far. Tinged with pain and regret, she deals with anguish and thoughts of what might have been with an eloquence few can match. Holbrook’s composition here is cinematic and nothing short of Oscar-winning. As the strings chime alone, the loss becomes harrowing and, sadly, images of tanks rolling into Kyiv become impossible to shake.

‘Steal Away’ however, witnesses a broken but not failing spirit rebuilding what it once had. Cairo’s tale is one of a soul twisted inside out, tormented but, refusing to quit. A vice-like grip around the thing/person in question forms with such intense levels of love, it soars heavenly above the drum ‘n’ bass, swooning in and out of the clouds to kiss the rain no matter how torrential it falls.

Then, on ‘Dust It Down’ comes the album’s most accomplished moment. The mindfulness of Massive Attack and the early 90s rave instincts combine to ignite this clarion call of positivity. With Fred Deakin’s sci-fi classic ‘The Lasters’ in their hearts, they erupt into technicolour mesh of Depeche Mode, Lucigenic, and New Order.

With the agony of the lyrics and the sonic insurrection, Cario and Holbrook have announced themselves as a songwriting duo the UK could and should obsess over. They feel more Pete/Carl than Marr/Morrissey. A soulmate connection between the pen and the studio has been forged in blood here and it’s spectacular.

This Is War - Nightclub

Liverpool’s This Is War returned yesterday with their new single ‘Nightclub. It follows last year’s anthems ‘Autumn Savage Rose’ and ‘Sugar’. Can it match their standard?

In a similar vein to ‘Autumn Savage Rose’, it’s in your face from the off without being particularly explosive. The riff has The Clash’s ‘Should I Stay or Should I Go’s stop-start style which, is taken for a walk on the wild side by bassist Andy Williams. His bassline takes the sexed-up disco-punk of The Slits ‘Heard It Through The Grapevine’ to the edge of Yeah Yeah Yeah’s power.

Frontman Paul Carden steps back from the bombast of the previous two singles to deliver a great Rod circa The Faces vocal for the most part. Carden moves from Rod to the beguiling psyche howl of Jim Morrison which allows for Roberts’ remarkable solo. Roberts finds a way to make Cream sound like a post-punk band.

Everything about this record screams danger. The kind tentative souls yearn for. The ilk of which, once you’re sucked in, you’re never leaving!

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

Rinaldi Sings - The Party's Over

Former member of 80s mod outfit The Moment Steve Rinaldi released ‘The Party’s Over’ last July under the moniker Rinaldi Sings. Written over a long period, it was recorded at Palm Studios, Soup Studios, and Mile Farm Studios with the aid of producers Steve and Paul Bultitude.   

You can buy the record here.

Albums being recorded over long periods can often sound disjointed and lack clarity with various epoch visions tinkering with the sound. Rinaldi manages to avoid these pitfalls with panache as he unites his love of 60s pop with his mod instincts. The bubblegum mod-pop of ‘Eyes of a Dreamer’ soars elegantly alongside the melodic stomps of Spencer Davis Group. ‘Empress of the Splendid Season’ taps I to the wistful soul of Roddy Frame and enriching orchestration of Chris Farlowe. Meanwhile, ‘The Highs Are Too High’ takes the indie-soul of The Housemartins for a night out to Wigan Casino and Twisted Wheel. Its razor-sharp characterisation a fine nod to Ray Davies’ legacy stomps along like the dearly missed New Street Adventure.

Interspersed among the groove-laden pop are slower numbers ‘We’ve Been Here Before’ and ‘Holy Cow’. The former, the epitome of charm, imparts the essence of The Everly Brothers and the rousing warmth of Frank & Walters as it ambles free. ‘Holy Cow’, feels like a Richard Hawley track given the indomitable optimism of Edwyn Collins’ songwriting. Both act as a fine balance to this party album, allowing everything to percolate in the mind.

On ‘She’ll Be There’, Rinaldi has recorded nothing a 60s classic. The grandiose brass and Bacharach orchestration are given Northern Soul and Style Council’s immediacy to produce something truly special. As if that wasn’t enough, The Beach Boys breakdown is simply divine!

A curiously consistent album, its long recording process should have led to some big dips based on other albums of this ilk. Proof that sticking to your guns will see the good out creatively. ‘The Party’s Over’ was most definitely worth the wait.

Echo & The Bunnymen: The Roundhouse, Camden

This past Monday, Echo & The Bunnymen played the first of their two London dates this month starting at the Roundhouse

Being forty years into their career, the case for a self-congratulatory greatest hits tour would be more than fair. In Camden Town, the scouse legends reignited a fire we’d not seen since they supported James at Brixton Academy in 2013 and blew them off the stage.

It was more than just finding form, more than proving a point, this, this was something celestial. ‘Show of Strength’ raged a war so colossal that souls were shaking! Will Sergeant’s guitar licks from became sirens of doom to echo through eternity.

The crowd favourites kept coming, but not as we knew them. ‘Flowers’, an elegant rock ‘n’ roll number on record became a death-defying storm of Brian Jonestown Massacre via Hendrix. ‘Bring on the Dancing Horses’ shimmered in all its glory, as per. However, a sense of searching lurked, it had the feel of it was being created in the studio there on the stage. The bands made it soar, striving to find new avenues of psychedelia, and crucially, it had that youthful demand to be heard. All the while, Ian McCulloch stood resplendent in the darkness reminding everyone who the mortals are.

It culminated in the greatest performance of ‘The Cutter’ ever. The current political climate and 2two years locked away boiled over into a joyously toxic display. Vitriolic but never divisive, they rewrote book on what it is to be a great band in those four minutes.

Quite how they match this showing we don’t know. We do know we’ll be at Shepherds Bush Empire on the 22nd to find out!

*Banner image courtesy of Harvey Wah Wah

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.

Tigers & Flies - Among Everything Else

The Manchester via Brighton via six-piece released their debut album ‘Among Everything Else’ last autumn via Violette Records.

Images courtesy of Ellie Rankin

Album’s laced in jazz’ oddities can be difficult and obstructive. Tiger & Flies seeks to dispel this myth. For every jagged edge, there is a pop hook and warming vocal, and enriching brass gently sanding them away.

‘Among Everything Else’ is in large, a set of great musical components coming together to forge new bonds and reawaken a few lost. Opener ‘Night Time Mood’ sees John Hassall and Burt Bacharach’s pop instincts hooking up with the melodic quirks of Baxter Dury. ‘Headspace’ takes the warmth of Orange Juice to the wayward landscapes of Murder Capital and Iceage. Meanwhile, ‘In My Skin’ splices Fontaines DC’s debut with soulful hints of New Street Adventure and, the underrated vocals of Suggs.

‘Pretty Good at Doing Fine’, despite its undeniable funk, strays too far into Talking Heads and XTC territory to step out as the band’s own. Countering this though is the sheer majesty of ‘Bat and Ball’, ‘Ben’, and ‘Don’t Let Her Walk Away’. On ‘Bat and Ball’, Arthur Arnold combines the vocal drawl of Charlie Steen (Shame) and the Albion jaunt of Carl Barat which culminates in a stunning set of Libertines via Lightning Seeds bubblegum s ‘ba ba ba’s’.

The latest single ‘Ben’ is a lost set of Johnny Marr guitar parts. Short angular riffs and eloquent jangles unite with Red Rum Club’s pop-brass instincts to create an almost euphoric sonic. Lifting it to the next level are the backing vocals as they carry an understated anthem to near-perfect status.

Then, on ‘Don’t Let Her Walk Away’, the album offers up its crowning glory. A forlorn beginning worthy of Sea Power at their most reflective clouds the air. It’s here their use of brass feels truly theirs. The hook acting as a breath, a reset on the pain darkening the protagonists’ vision on a relationship is astonishing. A truly fine update to the Orange Juice classic ‘Falling and Laughing’.

In 1967, Cream took jazz principles to the heights of psyche music with ‘Disraeli Gears’. Tigers & Flies have taken similar difficult foundations to the pinnacle of 60s pop and post-punk.

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.

Ian M Bailey - Songs to Dream Along To

In October, Ian M bailey followed up on his critically acclaimed EP ‘Shots of Sun’ with ‘Songs To Dream Along To’. Recorded and produced at his home studio, it was written with Cosmic Rough Rider’s songwriter Daniel Wylie and released on Kool Kat Musik.

Artwork courtesy of Ian and https://johnwashington.co.uk/

Musically, it lives romantically in the past, largely residing in the Laurel Canyon scene. There is modern-day wisdom to lots his writing keeping it relevant. ‘A Place To Live’, escapes to the gentle beauty of early Ian Matthews records. The real artistry though, appears in the lyrics, seemingly an ode to the child about the pitfalls of lockdown (“Glory days cut down in our prime”). Bailey is blessed with empathy in his writing but, in the chorus here, he taps into a melody so potent that, it lifts the troubled soul beyond its despair:

“just a place to live / a place where we can be together / just a place to live / we won’t be here forever”

‘I’m Not The Enemy’, tackles the same problems but, further down the line mental of struggle. As such, the Byrdisan sonic is tinged with Gene Clark’s rich darkness and the psyche solo suggests a breaking point was reached. Yet again, the uplift of the chorus keeps the protagonists reaching for the light.

The Byrds influences reach far and wide on the record. None better than on ‘This Is Not A Feeling’ with the 12 string Rickenbacker out in its all glory. The positivity radiating from the guitars and Bailey’s vocals is near perfect. Coupled with the enriching keys, a state of bliss is achieved.

Album number two has begun between bailey and Wylie. Based on this showing, it cannot come soon enough. 

*Banner images courtesy of https://www.johnmiddleham.com/

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.