The Rifles – The Kids Won’t Stop

East London’s cult heroes The Rifles have returned with their first new single in seven years. ‘The Kids Won’t Stop’ was released on the 24th of November via Cooking Vinyl. It’s the first single from the upcoming album ‘Love Your Neighbour’ and is due for release on April 26th, 2024.

*image and artwork courtesy of Fear PR.

Pre-order ‘Love Your Neighbour’ here.

Despite the long absence of new material, the band has proved their worth creatively with the stunning Abbey Road acoustic album, and frontman Joel Stoker’s recent solo album (The Undertow) has also come in for high praise. Will the new single stack up?

Forty Seconds in and Grant Marsh’s archetypal drum rolls ignite the band's glory days. When The Rifles catch fire like this, few can match their emotive spirit. The band adopts a mature songwriting style, adopting aspects of the Madness classic ‘The Liberty of Norton Folgate’ in this reflective piece.

With a seven-year hiatus in the studio and continued success on the live circuit, The Rifles could be forgiven for being out of touch with the people on this new helping. Alas, Stoker’s lyrics easily tap into everyday life, portraying the hectic pace that ordinary folk must endure. Where ‘No Love Lost’ would have hit full throttle with this discourse, the band's twenty-year wisdom chimes, allowing space to reflect upon what’s important amid the chaos. It’s here the song's true beauty emerges. The “ba la la” and Luke Crowther’s brief solo serve as a reminder the simple things are the best, and must be grasped now youth is fading in the rearview mirror.

Marrying middle age with the riotous sonic fans have come to love could have been tricky. Perhaps it’s the reason for a seven-year break? Whatever the reason, The Rifles have navigated it with joy and contentment, which will keep fans happy and any leather-clad motorbike crisis at bay. As such, ‘Love Your Neighbour’ has become one of 2024’s most eagerly anticipated albums.  

Megan Wyn – Familiar Faces

Manchester-based singer-songwriter Megan Wyn releases her new single ‘Familiar Faces’ today. Wyn wrote the song with writing and Producer partner Alex Quinn at the start of the summer. Can it match the quality of the debut single ‘You Don’t Get It’. Banner image courtesy of Sam Crowston.

Artwork courtesy of SM MGMT

Where ‘You Don’t Get It’ charted a coming-of-age journey from an isolated and melancholic position, ‘Familiar Faces’ lands Wyn right into the heart of relationship woes that have yet to be fully overcome.

Everyone writes about troubled relationships. The key to people caring is integrity and Wyn has it spades here. There’s a sense that the creative process has been obsessed over as much as the pain from it’s jealous muse. The guttural snap delivery of “darling I’d do anything for you” lands you in the white heat of a relationship's destructive pattern. It’s devastating emotionally but creatively astonishing. It’s supplanted by the more gentle “all these years”, acting as reluctant acceptance that all the efforts have been in vain.

Two singles in and Wyn is defining her identity with a clarity many artists struggle to find until album number three. Little Blossoms via Gerry Cinnamon guitar flourishes sprinkle a shimmer over country-tinged-indie sonic. it elevates her identity with a clarity many struggle to find until album number three, let alone single number two.

Wyn has followed up on her debut single with yet another single-of-the-year contender. A supreme talent not to be missed!

Click the image below for tickets to Wyn’s headline shows in Manchester and Liverpool:

Pastel: Camden Assembly, London

“Chase the feeling, I believe in”

Last night, Manchester’s Pastel took to London for the first time as headliners at the Camden Assembly (formerly the Barfly). The last time we caught them was supporting label mates Afflecks Palace at the Islington Town Hall (full review here). They blew their peers off the stage that night. Could they handle the pressure as top dogs?

Pastel shone through a haze of smoke and early Verve-esque jams a year ago. Frontman James Yates had that beautiful Ashcroft and Gillespie quality of knowing when to stay out of the way and let their trips take hold. This beauty remained, but Jack Yates emerged as a frontman to be reckoned with. A confidence oozed through his performance, humour through his patter, and crucially, in those big vocal hook moments on ‘Your Day’ and ‘Deeper Than Holy’ he unleashed the power and looked iconic!

With the announcement that their new album is coming in the new year, they unleashed new material on the besotted London crowd. ‘Run It On Up’ saw Yates switch up from Ashcroft’s defiant peak on ‘Northern Soul’ to ‘Tellin’ Stories’ era Burgess. The collective snarl in the verses ebbed away into a melodic uplift blessed with euphoria and intensity. Meanwhile, ‘Sunnyside’ had tinges of The Style Council playing ‘Catching The Butterfly’ with Liam on vocals. Influences that consume most bands were folded into their brand of bugged-out Four Horseman meets Nick McCabe psyche with mesmeric ease.

‘Isaiah’ and ‘Escape’ slide into the sold-out crowd’s elusive dreams and forgotten schemes with their blissful spirals and kaleidoscopic imagery. A sea of arms out wide greet the mystical Blake-esque poetry of ‘Isaiah’. On ‘Escape’, the bellowing power of Joe Anderson’s guitars begins to transcend music as hope descends from on high to the hearts and minds of this adoring audience.

Pressure? What pressure? Pastel looked at home as headliners. The only thing out of place was the size of the venue. Witnessing a band on the cusp of greatness in a 200-capacity venue was a privilege. It will surely be the last time for a long time.