Pulp: The 02 Arena (Friday), London

Just over a week ago, we witnessed Pulp’s return to London as they played a sold-out 02 Arena. With no support, the Sheffield icons played two sets. Could they pull it off, or would it stray into the self-indulgence of Springsteen?

*image credit: Indie Cult Club

Backed by an orchestra and a stunning set display, they launch in their new album with ‘Spike Island’, ‘Grown Ups’, and ‘Slow Jam’ to remind the twenty thousand in attendance that this is not a nostalgia fest.

Despite the disco-enthused prowess of Spike Island and later in the set, the lush orchestrated pop of Tina, it’s hard to escape the power of their past. ‘Sorted For E’s and Whiz’, ‘Acryllic Afternoons’, and ‘F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D’ prove yet again that counter-culture and indie can offer moments of alternative euphoria still.

Cocker, playful throughout the show, revisited the darker times of ‘This Is Hardcore’. Twenty-seven years after its release, The Fear echoed through the arena. Once a raw reflection of personal trauma, now a towering anthem forged from the wreckage of heavy drug use and its fallout.

On, ‘Disco 2000’, the band and crowd marched back into their triumphant 1996. It was an ecstatic release of joy the set never got close to again. Wave upon wave of blissful emotion soared as Pulp reminded everyone that once, the freaks, geeks, and outsiders once ruled the charts.

Indulgent? No. Missing a support act? Yes. However, Pulp was right; we did, and do, want more!

Subterrania – Peaks

With Pastel in the ascendency and label mates Marseille in the rear-view mirror, something is afoot in the UK right now. Ballsy shoegaze and escapist rock ‘n’ roll is on the rise. Throwing their name into the hat next are Subterrania. Their latest single ‘Peaks’, was recorded with Wolf Alice producer Michael Smith and was released last week via Echo Bass Records.

banner image courtesy of Songbird PR.

Artwork courtesy of the band.

Frontman Dylan Cai serves up a vocal that beds in between Liam Gallagher and Pastel’s James Yates. In the angelic verses, Cai arguably delivers the finest homage to Gallagher’s early Oasis days yet.

It’s a record that twists from angelic indie melodies to bruising shoegaze and bluesy rock 'n' roll, forged in the hedonism of the 90s. Like their label mates Marseille and Pastel, the sense of Richey Edwards’ ‘4 Real’ oozes from this single. The lyrics deliver hope (“I see the road ahead”), and the muscular blasts of guitar distribute hope. Together, they can forge a new allegiance of righteous souls marching on big venues and festival main stages.

Despite the many layers, it’s a simplistic record: Melody, noise, and a burst of sweet release in a solo. It’s a reminder that the music's principles haven’t changed, only its purveyors have been weak for too long. Subterrania have kicked off 2025 with a bang!

The Kowloons - I Don't Care

At the end of May, Liverpool outfit The Kowloons released their latest single ‘I Don’t Care’ via Ripe Records.

*banner image credit: Matt Owen

The LA’s defiant acoustic jangle looms large on this remarkable slice of guitar-cum-pop music. To compare The Kowloons to anyone beyond this would be a criminal injustice. There’s an effortless quality to this record that breeds a warm familiarity through its melody. The kind usually reserved for radio stations indebted to the past that stir up childhood car journey memories.

Melodies this good are so often met with lyrics which don’t stack up. Not here! The Kowloons have served up a deeply personal ode of love and heartache. Characters with darkness are drawn back to the light, and lifelong friendships are put to the test. Lyrically, he closing stages are poignantly open-ended, so that the joyous sonic becomes an emotive juxtaposition.

The Kowloons next gig is a big home city gig at Liverpool’s District on October 10th. It’s difficult to imagine this being anything other than triumphant based on this form.

Click the image below for tickets to their upcoming show:

Marseille – Heaven’s At My Door

Derby’s Marseille recently released their latest single ‘Heaven’s At My Door’ via Echo Bass Records.

*banner image & artwork courtesy of the band.

There have been past singles which felt too rushed. Enjoyable, yet too fast, not allowing the majesty of Labrum and Brown to flourish. On ‘Heaven’s At My Door’, those attempts to speed up the work of the Roses click with spectacular results.

By adopting the trippier drums of Reni’s work on ‘The Second Coming’ and Andy Bell’s hazy jangle-jangle Beatles-inspired guitar sound, they forge a realm that marries big psychedelic rock ‘n’ roll and pop sensibilities.

Through Brown’s harmonious vocal and Labrum taking a back seat for the most part, the vocals ease their way into 60s pop and allow tinges of the Roses and the everyman infectiousness of Shed Seven to shine.

No Marseille single is complete without Labrum emerging as this generation's Squire, Bell, or McCabe, and this is no different. His work with Lennon Hall on rhythm here lays a platform for Brown to shine until the time comes to spiral heavenwards with rapid-fire licks from the gods.

With Y Not Festival just around the corner, Marseille are set to win yet more die-hard fans this summer with tier spiralling majesty.

The Crooks: 100 Club, London

The last time The Crooks were in London at The Water Rats, there was a reconnection and reaffirmation between the band and fans alike. What was lost, was found. This time around, the conundrum was trickier. It was prove yourself time!

*banner image credit: Rhona Murphy

‘Dreaming Out Loud’ and ‘Champagne & Caviar’ opened proceedings but, for anyone at the triumphant Water Rats gig, not as they hoped. The energy in the room was flat. Had the desperation for fans to prove themselves to a band evaporated?

No. The room was in awe!

Image Credit: Rhona Murphy

Quiet, jaws down, and eyes bulging the sold-out crowd looked on at a band that had gone to a new place in their time away. More melodic, intense and tighter than before, The Crooks unfurled a stream of rock ‘n’ roll that’s begging to connect with big crowds.

The latest single, ‘Carry On,’ gave their set a different dimension. Slower and more psychedelic, it allowed their guitars to spiral and fall with the freedom usually reserved for a band three albums deep. It allowed frontman Jacko to distil a gritty yet angelic clarity.

Most bands would kill to close on ‘In The Meantime’. Its euphoric football crowd quality bellowed out from Jacko and back again from the fans as one. The Crooks, however, signal time three songs out with Better Days and In Time preceding. Epic drama-fueled anthems which light up the 100 Club like it’s a stadium.

Festival season is upon The Crooks with Isle of Wight, Godney Gathering, and Y Not coming up. Three gigs to change the world? Maybe. Three gigs t change their status from underground to main stage? Definitely.

Siracuse - Chase The Morning

Cheltenham’s Siracuse returned with their first single of 2025 ‘Chase The Morning’ at the end of May. Released via Vibrant Sky Records, it was produced by Dave Draper in Pershore, at The Old Cider Press Studio. It follows last year’s hedonistic ‘Simple Pleasures’ with both expected to feature on their new album due in 2026.

The thunderous intro lands you in ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Star’s rabid intention of world domination. From there, through a divine key change, they depart from Oasis and forge a new path of intoxication and aspiration but with greater heart.

With each circling year, Ben Zakotti - frontman, guitarist, poet in chords - edges closer to the ranks of the almost-forgotten greats. Once, the phrase belonged to the slow-blooming, the ill-starred, the haunted. Now, in 2025, Zakotti stares down a music world hollowed and hunched. Even the stations that once swore by bands have drawn up the ladder, leaving echoes where anthems should be.

With hope now an almost bygone era sentiment, Zakotti’s performance becomes more vital. As his hypnotic vocal decrees, “take your chance to electrify” and “chase the morning”, a generation of guitar fans fed up with the lack of exposure have their clarion call. Images of stadiums shaking with limbs flying to this electrifying anthem become the goal, an insurrection among guitar lovers imminent. Their time miust be now!

2025 is going to be the year that Oasis came back. It should be about Pastel’s debut and The Bracknall’s seminal second album. It should be about Marseille, Rolla, and The Crooks selling out venues. It should be about Siracuse!

Ecko - Blesstival, Camden

Ayr’s rising stars Ecko, played the inaugural Blesstival this past Bank Holiday with the likes of Electric Sheep Inc. and Bless. at Camden’s Elephant’s Head.

*banner image courtesy of Martin Bailey

Their last visit to the capital was in the same venue and their measured psyche-cum-indie licks wowed a packed crowd. Many of the same faces have made the trek to the capital to see if lightning could strike twice.

It could, but not as we’ve come to expect.

Heavier in sonic but freer in playing, the Scottish quartet unleashed new songs of real impact. ‘El Cabio’ throbbed with the measured menace of Nirvana’s ‘In Utero’ and the distorted aggression of Sonic Youth and Idlewild’s angst-ridden beginnings. It gave frontman Jamie Warden a platform to mark himself as the kind of rock star festival goers will shed limbs for.

Fan favourite ‘Let Go’ rips through the Elephant’s Head like a spell from the devil. Bristling with punk's fervent energy and rock ‘n’ roll’s hedonism, they unleashed a single worthy of Creation Records status. This, what had become their archetypal sound to date, was a refreshing tonic against the backdrop of their new harder edges. together, they were a deadly duo few bands could match.

Time and time, and TIME again, Ecko prove they’re among the elite rock ‘n’ roll bands in the UK. It’s just a matter of time until their breakthrough to the masses comes!

Bless. - Blesstival, Camden

London’s Bless. hosted its inaugural all-dayer at Camden’s Elephants Head this past bank holiday. The event gave some of the UK’s finest new bands - Electric Sheep Inc., Cade Rain, and Ecko - a taste of the capital’s rock ‘n’ roll heartland.

*banner image courtesy of Martin Bailey

That was, until Bless. walked on stage.

More seasoned? Yes. World-weary? Not a chance. Punk’s energy, mod’s charm, and indie’s penchant for anthems oozed from the band at every turn. Bless may have given everyone a leg up today, but they blew them away on stage with a breathtaking performance.

Frontman Joei Silvestre is Britain’s best-kept rock ‘n’ roll secret. His Jarvis-like figure, his northern soul shapes, and an intense charm made even the oldest souls in the crowd want to be him — a skill few frontmen possess in 2025.

Last year’s single, ‘Skeleton Dance’, fired out with glints of The Clash and Dead 60s in its eyes. Playful and charming but always rebellious, they toy with cadence like a cat masterfully playing with its prey.

Frenetic and rampant throughout, the band could have walked off after ten minutes and changed lives. However, when you have a stonewall classic like ‘Daddy Didn’t Make It As A Rockstar’ in the locker, you leave knowing you’ve played the best song in any venue across Camden on any given day.

From the firesome to the angelic, Bless. have proved yet again they’re a force on the UK guitar scene — and they deserve the break that will entice the masses.

Inspiral Carpets: Chinnerys, Southend

Manchester icons Inspiral Carpets played Southend’s iconic seafront venue Chinnerys last week to a sold-out Indie Cult Club crowd. Last time in Southend, the Inspirals were supporting the Happy Mondays at Cliffs Pavillion. They stole the show that night, this time out, they were after souls.

Image Credits: Gas & Shutter. Courtesy of Indie Cult Club

‘Two Worlds Collide’ gave the set a euphoric crowning glory, the kind that people will talk about for years to come. With every passing year, it carries more weight and emotional heft. Lost lives, lovers, and chances of redemption flood the senses as Stephen Holt’s divine soul vocal causes eyes to close and hearts to open. Pin. Drop. Moment!

The poignancy continued to flow from the band on ‘Beast Inside.’ As Holt decreed, “guess a man is no man / If he doesn’t have the beast inside,” the band and crowd united in a powerful moment of self-reflection.

When they stepped on the power, punk’s riotous energy coursed through them. A thunderous rendition of ‘Joe’ bordered on insanity as chaotic drums and Boons iconic organ riff locked horns. ‘I Want You’ was at it’s destructive best, flailing into the ether like a lost soul with nothing to lose. Devastatingly good.

Three decades after their debut, the Inspirals have found a vein of form that hit dangerous levels of intoxication at Chinnerys. Mooooooooooooooooooooo.

Electric Sheep Inc. - Blesstival, Camden

Rhyl’s Electric Sheep Inc. played the inaugural Blesstival at Camden’s iconic Elephant’s Head this past Sunday.

Frontman Christian Pimley dedicated the set to the recent passing of The Alarm’s Mike Peters. His impassioned speech about local icon status led into the groove-laden ‘Moosha Mosh’, where wayward Happy Mondays-style guitars set the stage for Pimley’s star to rise.

Resplendent in a charcoal Fred Perry t-shirt, Pimley strutted and danced with magnetic appeal. Eyes front and centre, his diminutive figure delivered a colossal lyrical assault. The ambition of Ian Brown and the poetry of Shaun Ryder collided to herald the UK’s next cultural icon:

“I’m a poet, I’m a liar, I’m a military coup”

On their latest single, ‘Cough Syrup’, the pace drops slightly, allowing Cameron Kelly and Jack Jones to ring out through this intimate setting as if it were Brixton Academy. Josh Jones’ basslines crunched with raw sex appeal, while Pimley’s angelic “oooo oooos” cut through the bombast with near-divine power.

The lyrical flow, the storytelling, and their full-bodied dive into the rock ’n’ roll aesthetics of Ecko and Bless were a joy to behold. Camden briefly reclaimed its soul. Guitars felt cool again - more than that, they felt vital.

The North – Trainspotting

Leeds outfit The North recently released ‘Trainspotting’, the last single from their upcoming debut EP.

It’s been seven months since they released their scene-shifting debut single ‘Soundtrack Your Soul’. It seems fitting that they open this with a grunge-tinged vocal howl of “nostalgia”, leading to climatic roars of “soundtrack your soul” in the close.

Memphis and lead guitarist Kobi Griggs’ guitars tonally tap into the poignancy of early Coldplay and the forlorn joyfulness of Electric Soft Parade. These, alongside introspective lyrics, could easily have allowed classic indie morbidity to unfurl. However, buoyancy and directness at play have the hallmarks of a great coming-of-age story.

The guitars punch with a knowingness that it’s now or never. Where ‘How Soon Is Now?’ swelled with angst and failure, ‘Trainspotting’ balloons with hope and promise of what is yet to come. Lyrically, Memphis tempers this with the protagonist searching for their place in the world a la Egg in This Life:

“nothing you can do boy / feels slightly blue ‘cos / you can’t go back in time”

The North’s debut EP ‘Blood Orange’ is out now and is not to be missed.

Good Health, Good Wealth ft Fredwave - You Don't Know Me

London’s Good Health, Good Wealth returned last week with their new single ‘You Don’t Know Me’ featuring additional vocals from Fredwave.

*banner image courtesy of Alan Wells Photography.

‘You Don’t Know Me’ was written after a fake festival promoter ripped off the duo. The duo was due to play a festival alongside Tinchy Stryder and Toploader just off the A13. A rare chance for a new act to step out in front of an older, more eclectic crowd to win hearts and minds. In reality, they played to 12 people and some burger vans. Scams have come a long way since the Prince of Nigeria emails.

Single artwork courtesy of Fear PR

Sonically, it’s their sleekest moment to date. Chic in sound, bleak in nature. Vocalist Bruce Breakey is bedding between Rich Archer (Hard-Fi) and Simon Franks (Audio Bullys). The gritty nodes lend the lyrics a weight of despair that would drag most under!

The grit and charm of The Streets, Audio Bullys, and Burial spelt out an alternate reality to reside in in the 00s. They painted pictures of subcultures, clubs, and post-rave squalor, but hope and optimism were never out of sight. Their characters, rich in the game of chance, taught lessons in drugs, nights out, and love from the position of the underdog.

Good Health Good Wealth tap into that sonic but reflect the stark futility of life in 2025 for anyone under thirty. Work doesn’t pay, and the housing market is a cruel joke. Despite this, they, like others, persevere with their passion projects, knowing there are no record deals or life-changing publishing advances, which were once a way out of towns and cities with integrity intact.

Good Health, Good Wealth merges the promoter's lies, the lack of opportunity, and their fallibility (“flying off the handle down the local on a school night”) to further push their sense of being the underdog. Hope that was tangible twenty years ago is now merely a twinkle in their eye, and for that, they are a triumph of the human spirit!

The Bracknall: Lower Third,London

Essex outfit The Bracknall headlined London’s Lower Third for Teenage Cancer Trust last week. It follows the release of their stunning second album ‘Falling Out of View’.

*all images courtesy of Gary Walker

There’s an aura growing around The Bracknall post-release. After ten years of hard graft, everything appears to have fallen into place. The tour supports with The Enemy, plus the Isle of Wight, and By The Sea festival slots have come to a band the guitar scene is desperate to see triumph.

Said desperation was in full voice at the Lower Third. Unsigned bands never used to walk on stage, and have their name bellowed back. As the band rightly said on stage, “What are radio stations fucking playing at” in not playing them and the support bands Rolla and The Slates. The popularity and talent are there, and so, sadly, are a bunch of 90s has-beens with no vision beyond the drudgery of Dave Grohl and reunion tours in charge.

As on the new album, ‘Get Better’ flows into ‘Everything I’ve Ever Known’. The former sends the ultras into a frenzy as frontman Jack Dacey’s vocals hit a fever point that he never ceased from. Then, on ‘Everything I’ve Ever Known’, Kasabian’s early volatility and Noel’s key change magnificence ooze from the soul of the band into the hearts and minds of a sold-out crowd. Every time Dacey melts into ‘I don’t need your permission / I said I’d never listen’, tears filled eyes, and hearts burst forth as the realisation that bands still fucking matter becomes tangible in the room. The guts, the glory, and the utter desperation of it all was a striking moment for anyone lost and downtrodden. Never. Give. Up!

‘Getting Up Again’ and ‘Falling Out Of View’, conjured a great sense of drama. The former soaring and tumbling with heightened anguish, rock ‘n’ roll’s disgrace, and a defiant bravado that legions would line up behind to defend. On ‘Falling Out Of View’, they made the ethereal sound like working-class sublimity. Its potency sucked the audience into their heads, putting their financial worries, relationship woes, and hopes for their kids in full view of their eyelids. Then, the singalong choruses, and the sumptuous licks offered the escapism to blow them away.

Such was the emotive power of the new album in the set; you’d be forgiven for thinking that nothing from their debut cut. ‘Good to the Bone’ and ‘Going Nowhere Fast’ were greeted like old friends, and ‘I Don’t Understand It’ was merged into a devastating performance of ‘Baba O Reilly’.

Nothing encapsulated the evening quite like , ‘I Don’t Understand It’:

“It ain’t the life I'm living / but it’s the one I'm chasing after”.

The industry might have pulled the ladders up for rock ‘n’ roll types in the past fifteen years, but there are other routes to success now. Frank Turner, Shed Seven, and Gerry Cinnamon, among others, have forged paths through the barriers to play massive gigs. May The Bracknall be the next!

The Cases – Where Is It (That You Wanna Go)

Preston outfit The Cases recently released their latest single, ‘Where Is It (That You Wanna Go)’. It follows last September’s eye-catching ‘Just Like You’. Can it maintain the momentum?

*banner image credit Izzy Scott

Where ‘Just Like You’ was indebted to current indie darlings Lock-In, ‘Where Is It (That You Wanna Go)’s soul belongs to the 00s greats! The achingly infectious licks evoke the carefree abandon of The Maccabees beginnings. They summon the humble glory of Battle and the raucous collectivism of Kubichek on this ode to self-discovery.

00s revivalism. It’s been done, right?

The cascading guitars and angelic vocals are a divine combination, making those sweat-filled nights at Frog and the decadence of Club NME at Koko pertinent once again.

It’s a single blessed with the effortlessness of youth, which only The Goa Express has achieved recently. They conjure images of friendships bonded by intense love. Every generation needs great coming-of-age stories. The class of ’25 has it’s first!

All The Young: Chinnerys, Southend

Stoke’s All The Young made their second appearance at Southend’s Indie Cult Club this past week, supporting My Life Story at Chinnerys.

Their unexpected return in 2022 threw up questions from fans. Where had they been? Why are they not massive? When they released the long-awaited second album ‘Tales of Grandeur’, it was as though they’d never been away. Back came the euphoric anthems. Back came hope!

With the heavyweight power of ‘The Horizon’ making Chinnerys feel like Wembley Stadium, that hope was not misplaced. The stomping glory of ‘Another Miracle’ put Ryan Dooley back a pedestal with the greats as his vocal yelps with emotion and digs in with rock ‘n’ roll’s defiance.

New single ‘Demons’ cut through their archetypal hedonism with DMA’s pop sensibilities and the kind of masculine self-reflection the world has been craving in the wake of Jack Throne and Stephen Graham’s masterpiece ‘Adolescence’. Few can say they wrote a good single thirteen years into their careers, ATY can boast a great one and Southend knew it.

On ‘The First Time’, if anyone was in doubt, ATY reminded Southend they have the perfect live anthem in their repertoire. Guttural emotion and explosive guitars washed over the room to set souls free.

All The Young complete their tour tonight at the iconic Sugarmill in Stoke. Roll on the next one!

The Slates – Fiesta

Yorkshire’s The Slates are back after twelve months with their latest single ‘Fiesta’.

* Banner image credit: Tom Oxley. Courtesy of This Feeling

Last time out, the band was in an anthemic yet reflective mood on ‘What Have You Done’. Upon return, the internal scrutiny has been altered for living in the moment on this ode to the journey, not the destination.

Through the riotous mod-cum-rock ‘n’ roll of Twisted Wheel and the debauched euphoria of The K’s, The Slates have fired themselves out of a cannon into 2025. This is nothing short of the joyride across a town destined to be escaped for sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll a ragged-out Fiesta deserves!

Louis Barnes’ vocals have taken on an urgency, an almost vicious tone that allows the guitars to breed the now-or-never sonic. This is a vital record that deserves to be rammed into the consciousness of those who care, and especially for those who don’t!

It’s easy to see on this form why Radio X icon John Kennedy is giving them a spin.

Rolla – The Dome, London

Manchester’s Rolla celebrated the release of their new EP ‘We Owe You Nothing’ supporting their home city peers Pastel at The Dome in London.

*Banner image credit: Gary Walker

Image credit: Gary Walker

Rolla’s appeal is an immediate one. Visceral explosions of sound have come easy to them. In 2023, they released their debut EP ‘Nothing Less Than Everything’, and they broadened their sonic universe to include the work The Verve, Stone Roses and BRMC. On record, it gave them a counterpoint to their archetypal snarling sound.

At The Dome, both sides of their arsenal came of age. The likes of ‘We Owe You Nothing’ and ‘What Kid’ retained their intensity, but their dabbling in more sonic exploration has allowed them to provide space for everything land. What was once a good right hook has become a flurry of heavyweight punches. Violent basslines, crushing drums, and psychedelic licks came the London crowd in a joyously brutal wave of destruction.  

On the EP, ‘A Beautiful Lie’ is a welcomed break from the chaotic storm they create elsewhere. On stage, it becomes another animal—an intricate and delicate psychedelic exploration mixed with angelic lullaby moments that hold crowds in awe.

Every time Rolla goes away, they come back with better songs. This time was no different, except live, where the progress is so vast it’s almost unimaginable. Pastel has opened the door for bands that thrive on all-or-nothing tropes; Rolla is the next through the door, and the world is infinitely better for it.

Yon Mon - Warmongers

Yon Mon recently returned with his third solo single, ‘Warmongers. ’ It follows ‘Shine On’ and ‘Picture This.’ Can the former Shed Project frontman maintain his run of form?

*images courtesy of Yon Mon.

Yon Mon, aka Roy Fletcher, has found a brooding intensity in this dark tale of our times. The cataclysmic drums and Doves-esque guitars make their way to the mind's dark corners.

The single is lit up with the devilish psyche guitar solo. Huge in sound and demonic in stature, Yon Mon’s sonic has been set to destroy. Where ‘Shine On’ and ‘Picture This’ were bursting with the joy of a young Tim Burgess, ‘Warmongers’ delves into a tank of despair and is a fine counterpoint in the Yon Mon cannon.

Three singles deep and Yon Mon’s underdog status is beginning to steadily rise to contender status.

Pastel: The Dome, London

Manchester’s Pastel finished their UK tour at London’s Dome in Tuffnel Park last Saturday. It’s their first tour since their critically acclaimed debut album ‘Souls In Motion’ was released.

*Banner image credit: Gary Walker

Last time headlining in London at the Garage, the band crossed over. A magical performance blessed with a spellbinding psyche that enticed a crowd into a unifying moment of escapism.

Image credit: Gary Walker

With the album not charting as well as they might have hoped, could they cope with the pressure? Could the band do it again?

Form is temporary. Class is permanent.

In the past, their gigs have been a display of talent—of a band with the songs and attitude to define a generation. Pastel is now toying with its crowd like master performers. The adrenaline rush of ‘Gone Too Fast’ is dipped into the Verve-eseque soul of ‘Leave A Light On’.

From then on, everything was beguiling, seemingly slight of hand as the Mancunians ascended to their throne as the band of the moment. The atmosphere hit a fever pitch amidst lysergic fog emanating from James Yates and Joe Anderson’s guitars. The guttural anthemia of ‘Heroes Blood’ and the rolling majesty ‘Deeper Than Holy’ spiral into the sweet release of ‘Isaiah’. It lands the band in a realm of glory, of a world where bands don’t have to serve up wet-fisted indie and half-baked Arctic Monkeys lyrics. In Pastel Land, bands are great, and they strive for more!

‘Souls In Motion’ may not have graced the heights of the album charts it deserved, but the people know. They have spoken. Loudly, in numbers, and with arms aloft, they ushered in their new heroes.

Image credit: Gary Walker

MOSES - Skin

London’s MOSES returned at the end of February with their latest single, ‘Skin’. Recorded at Magic Garden Studio, they again hooked up with legendary producer Gavin Monaghan (The Blinders / Ocean Colour Scene / Rosa Caleum)

*image credit Mike Rădulescu. Courtesy of Artbeat Promo

Artwork credit: JJ Eringa

The early days of MOSES were a rabid animal. Ferocious guitars which fizzed with fire and brimstone alongside frontman Victor Moses’ frenetic vocals. As they approach album number three, the power remains, but they are older and wiser, and things are more measured.

Victor is barely at jogging pace in the verses, allowing the New York-enthused basslines and measured guitar snarl to wrap around this ode to love. The choral backing vocals build the track to a breaking point via a scintillating Bloc Party meets The Strokes solo.

MOSES third album is due out this autumn and is shaping to be a real contender.