J.W. Darwin’s first solo release sees the Middlesbrough singer combine catchy melodies with a gorgeous sonic palette to produce a stunning indie pop single.
Beginning with a gorgeously rich textured synth line that fills the sonic canvas, Darwin builds an atmosphere that showcases his heart-on-sleeve approach to songwriting.
The result is a hearty dose of indie pop reminiscent of singer songwriters such as Hozier. The big pop chorus feels earned by the careful preparation that Darwin takes to build the tension within the verses, fulfilling the melodic potential of the track.
Attention has been paid to ensure the songwriting keeps you on your toes, with a tempo shift in the second verse accompanied by a bright guitar line dancing throughout.
Overall, the catchy melodies and smart production make this a great track to check out.
Club Paradise have started the countdown to their new EP by releasing two great teaser tracks to whet the appetite before their October release.
The first of the two tracks, Years, starts with a bold guitar solo, which glides over a bright synth line.
The verses to the track builds the tension with reverby guitar swells intersecting a driving rhythm section which gains pace as it continues.
The chorus twinkles with a sparkly synth line driving the catchy eighties-inspired melody. It is here that you can hear the influence of bands like The 1975, as well as a range of other indie pop groups.
The song has a smart pop sense and a glittery production; but, it also knows how to deliver a punch with the crunchy guitar solos and dark lyrics, which contrast the light production.
Previous single, Chasing the Summer, has lofty ambitions, beginning with a huge intro featuring a big guitar solo and thumping drums.
The vocals immediately hit you and are delivered with passion and energy. These are joined by backing vocals in the verses, which once again reminded me a lot of The 1975.
The chorus is huge, with guitar lines which go hard over a thumping beat. Overall, the track is the epitome of an anthem with huge guitars and catchy melodies.
Together, these tracks do a great job of wetting the appetite for the upcoming EP, which arrives in October.
Big Romance’s latest single “Self Medicate” shows their ability to mix genres to excellent effect, blending shoegaze, indie and post-punk together in a rewarding mixing pot of gorgeous production and great songwriting.
Opening with a reverb-heavy 90s feeling introduction, I was immediately reminded of the Siamese Dream era Smashing Pumpkins with its dreamy production and vocals.
This is quickly interrupted by a laid back verse with a real slacker vibe, fitting well into the established vibe of the track.
The pre-chorus shifts gears as the distantly distorted guitar stalks the vocal melody with fuzzy distortion and precision.
Eventually, the tracks anticipation pays off, unveiling a twinkling guitar solo that reminded me of dream pop bands such as NewDad.
The spacious nature of the production throughout illustrates the band’s love of shoegaze whilst highlighting their focused songwriting.
The introspective lyrical approach that the track takes examines coping mechanisms and relationships with sharp lyrical quality.
When the chorus hits, it hits hard. I can hear the influence of Slowdive in the production through the heavenly feel brought by the backing vocals, and the swirling guitars drenched in distortion and reverb.
A crunching guitar solo fires through the crescendo of the track, adding an appropriate ending to the song, before its distortion blends into the mix, allowing the song to sail off into the sunset.
Overall, the song combines the best bits from various subsections of indie music, making it easy to get on board with production you can sink into and sharp songwriting.
Hannah Robertson returns with yet another gorgeously dark single, taking her dream pop sound in a more twisted direction.
Beginning in a realm of dreamy and hypnotic guitars, the track quickly awakens you with a rush of distortion and drums, bringing a gnarly edge to Robertson’s dream pop production.
The influence of groups such as NewDad and Slowdive is evident within the dreamy shoegaze-inspired production. However, an underlying darkness brings a nasty edge to the ethereal track, making it more dream rock than dream pop.
The anticipation built up through the verse explodes in the chorus, which musically acts as a dark counter balance to the airy intro.
Throughout the track, the performances and production are exceptional, helping build a dark, dreamy atmosphere with their crispness.
If you love groups like Wolf Alice and enjoy hypnotic, dreamy production, then this track is perfect for you!
Specky Cult’s sophomore album blends rock and folk together to craft a unique voice with a truly North East perspective.
The first track, Come Back Kid, immediately sets the scene for the record with a folky feel reminiscent of groups such as Fleetwood Mac. The acoustic guitar on the track immediately establishes this, as gorgeous piano lines drive the track forward, opening the LP in fine fashion.
Love Crap then takes the LP in a different direction, embracing more of an alt-rock sound while maintaining a folk edge. Just imagine a hard rock Lindsey Buckingham, and you are along the right lines. These are joined by synths in the mix, which enrich the listener’s palette.
The LP takes another twist on the third song Seriously, which begins in a manner which echoes About A Girl by Nirvana, before opening up into an interesting melodic flow and a refrain of “seriously” which imbues the chorus.
The group channels Bob Dylan with a lovely mouth organ beginning on Alibi, continuing the folky vibe of the record. The chorus of “I’m not your alibi” sends out a defiant message, hammering home the theme of the track.
Everything Is Awesome brings back the rock guitars, along with a beautiful MOOG synth line that mirrors the vocal line. The song’s lyrics are deeply personal in tone, with the chorus sending a hopeful message to the listener.
Lovely guitar swells adorn Hell Before Breakfast, building towards a great chorus. The track is then immediately followed by Anthems and Tantrums, which takes the folk vibes up to ten with its gorgeous production.
Pull The Plug bursts to life with dominating guitars, surrounded by lyrics that tackle the challenges of living in the internet age, injecting some sharp social commentary into the album.
The track that follows, Pie and Mash, continues along these lines, commenting on the mundanity of everyday life and stating that all singer Carol Stephen needs is “pie, mash and a pint of ale”.
Pie and Mash – Specky Cult
The title track, A Different Kind Of Difficult, begins with a heavy guitar riff, leaving behind the folk vibe that dominates the album for a classic rock feel filled with nice MOOG lines and gorgeously crafted riffs.
The album then comes to an end on Big Shop, which opens with a fake shop closing announcement that I thought was a nice touch. The track’s instrumentation is warm, contradicting the lyrics that complain about the mundanity of ageing, life, and doing the shopping on a Friday.
Overall, this album showcases the band’s strengths as well as the breadth of their musical influences. If you love classic rock and folk, then the band will almost certainly be for you.
The latest single from The Avelons illustrates the band’s confidence and ability to develop catchy anthems perfect for the summer (even one as depressing as this summer).
An intricate, reverb-drenched guitar opening immediately greets you, starting the track off on an etherial note. This is immediately interrupted by a cacophony of drums, which bring energy and focus to the track.
The overall production of the track is crisp and energetic, allowing the band and the track to shine. Its anthemic nature shines through the massive chorus, which feels tailor-made for festivals and arenas. Complementing this is a gorgeous guitar solo, which ploughs through the track like a wrecking ball.
As the song continues, it only builds momentum, leading to a singalong ending reminiscent of tracks like Seventeen Going Under.
If you like the vibe of groups like Arctic Monkeys, The Wombats, and Oasis, then you’ll love this track.
Irked’s self-titled EP is a rip-roaring explosion of punk rock that combines spectacular lyricism with pure energy.
First track, Snakes, immediately greets you with feedback, acting almost as a power up screen for the EP and providing a perfect preview of what is to come when the bass hits.
In the verse, the instrumentation is controlled yet threatens to explode at any moment. This expectation is fulfilled by the time the track hits the chorus, where we are greeted with a scream and a cacophony of guitars, meeting the anticipation that the track has built up.
The lyrics use intense imagery to bring singer Helen Walkinshaw’s experience of sleep paralysis to life, with the performance matching the vivid imagery of the track’s lyrics.
This gives way to Backstreets, which hits you once again with its primal punk energy while offering a sharp critique of gender dynamics, the dismissal of male misconduct, and the effects of this.
The frustration in the lyrics is perfectly encapsulated by the instrumentation, which fizzes with aggression. At times, this cedes to allow Walkinshaw to emphasise the song’s message and powerful commentary. The track overall is a perfect encapsulation of punk at its very best, delivering pure energy and an attack on societal norms.
Single Crippling Empath explodes straight into the chorus, bringing more incredible performances with some excellent guitar work that runs throughout the EP.
Lanzarote uses personal antidotes to reflect upon recent political history, creating a foreboding atmosphere that the worst is still to come. This is all painted over a canvas of riffs, which help to build up the atmosphere, while allowing the lyrics to shine through.
The EP concludes with Move, which begins once again with drum rolls and feedback before exploding into life. There is more great guitar work, with the entire fretboard getting a workout at times, as well as an energetic performance from the rhythm section, which maintains the energy throughout the tracks on the EP.
Lyrically, the song provides a snapshot of the frustration and obstacles of everyday life and the resilience and determination it takes to keep moving forward, providing a defiant ending to the EP.
Overall, this is an amazing EP front to back and does everything a punk album should do lyrically and musically. If you’re a fan of bands like Amyl and the Sniffers or The Chats, then Irked may have just made the perfect EP for you.
Social Youth Cult deliver their most confident and assured set of singles with their new double A-side offering.
The EP begins with Black Lipstick, which introduces the running voicemail intro that connects both tracks together nicely on the double single.
Care has been taken to give the track a unique production. I particularly enjoyed the drum track, which sounded distant in the mix, giving the song a distinct feel.
Gothic guitars surround this in the mix, drenched in heavy reverb that echoes the early work of The Cure. Decorating all of this are the gorgeous vocals, which bring gravitas to the track and a haunting energy.
Overall, the track emphasises the gothic edge of the group’s music, with dark lyrics and a stark vibe reminiscent of groups like Siouxsie and the Banshees.
The second track, Different Language, buzzes with energy and an almost live style of production, bringing immediacy to the track.
It’s clear that across the two tracks, effort has been made to make the production stand out among their contemporaries. With its sparse yet raw feel, the group succeeds in crafting an intriguing sonic palette to complement their songwriting.
The strong vocal delivery continues in this track, with a touch of Nick Cave in the delivery, especially in the first verse. Lyrically, the track alludes to love turning sour, twisting this theme into a dark and moody vibe.
The guitar work on the track is incredible with a more aggressive approach which complements the overall feel well.
Overall, these latest two tracks from Social Youth Cult find the band continuing to mature and grow to excellent effect.
Northern Hospitality’s latest single Break Free, sees the group snarl their way through a punk-inspired energetic track. From minute one, you are greeted by aggressive and snarling riffs, perfect for getting the mosh pit started. This is before the drums fade in, creating a full frontal assault on your ear drums.
Frontman Gaz Price snarls over this terrific backbeat, which never lets up, venting his inner turmoils and frustration at life.
Each verse is interrupted by another expertly crafted riff, which matches well with the thunderous drum beat.
From listening to the track, it is clear why the band is starting to pick up attention, having played alongside the like of Pete Doherty, Kaiser Chiefs and Feeder, building a name for themselves within the region.
If you’re a fan of punky melodies that are as catchy as they are aggressive, then you should definitely check out the track.
The latest single from Alastair James combines the very best of Rock and Americana to produce a delightful foot stomping anthem.
Taking influence from the likes of Tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen, the Middlesbrough singer-songwriter blends genres and ideas on the track to excellent effect as he continues his comeback after time away from music.
James addresses his personal struggles in the lyrics, singing about the vertigo he suffered as a result of surgery on his hand and leg, and the mental strength it took to get him back to doing what he loves.
Both musically and lyrically, the track is defiant, opening with a distorted guitar intro that is guaranteed to get your foot tapping. This driving guitar line perfectly complements the lyrics about moving on, triumphantly gliding through the track.
The influence of heroes such as Springsteen and the Kinks is evident by the time the song reaches the soaring anthemic chorus.
The overall effect makes you feel as though you could be on a road trip down Route 66, with a real uplifting heartlands feel.
A beautifully played guitar solo adds to the tracks positivity and builds anticipation for an amazing climax.
Overall, this song radiates positivity and heart, with James defiantly moving on from his struggles and, with music as good as this, into a bright future.
Humbug North East 