The new single from Sam George is a treasure trove for guitar lovers, packing a variety of styles into one deeply satisfying offering.
The Tyneside artist showcases both his musical ear and talent on this track, skilfully weaving vastly different guitar parts into a cohesive whole.
From its funky beginning to the chunky chorus, there’s a lot to like. The track manages to simultaneously maintain a groovy vibe while delivering strong, memorable melodies.
Attention has been paid to creating a rich array of sounds. It’s almost as if George has decided to channel all of his influences at once and it works brilliantly.
The song builds to a climactic finale that combines two distinct solos together to finish on a brilliant high note.
If you love indie music, you’ll really enjoy this track. From The Smashing Pumpkin-esque vocals to light funky rhythm sections, it’s a gem worth checking out.
The new album from Weathership sees the group honing their sound and producing a cohesive project that is pleasing to the ear.
From the first track, Golden Age, the band immediately sets out their stall, employing a groove- based rhythm section, intriguing synth sounds, and intricate, clean guitar lines to craft a distinctive sound.
A siren immediately greets you on the track with an extended intro which reminded me of The Cure without the gothic element. The use of space in the arrangement allows the guitar lines to shine.
The Blue continues in this vein, with some lovely bass lines building a lovely groove. The vocals on this track – and indeed throughout the album – are consistently strong.
The following track, Through the Fog, boasts a huge, beautifully constructed chorus, accompanied by expertly crafted guitar parts. New Occupation continues this with twinkling guitar parts layered over a groove-driven rhythm section, beginning with a delightful drum beginning.
The highlight of the album is Just a Ghost with a magnificent melodic chorus and engaging call-and-response within it. The result is a tight, catchy slice of indie rock.
The massive sound of the album runs throughout the last four tracks. On Electrolung there is more great production with jittering synth and an interesting drum machine. The track reminded me a bit of Radiohead.
Lost at Sea had a massive chorus and beautifully echoing guitar parts to beautifully decorate it before the massive stomping drums of The Swimmer.
Album closer, For The Dark Is Beautiful is a fitting closer, encapsulating everything the album excels at in a grand atmospheric conclusion.
Overall, this album is a fantastic listen for fans of massive sounding atmospheric indie rock.
A slightly different one today, as I wanted to draw attention to the new posthumous release from folk musician Martin Matthews.
The album, No Time Like The Present, features 17 tracks recorded during the final months of Martin’s life before his passing in August 2023 at the age of 71, following a courageous battle with bowel cancer.
Martin’s friends and family have released the album to raise funds for three charities close to his heart: The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation, Macmillan Cancer Support, and Marie Curie.
Over the course of 20 years, Martin played in 12 bands, becoming a beloved figure in the North East folk scene, and collaborated on four albums with producer Sean Taylor.
It is Taylor, who worked with Martin over the past 20 years, who finished the project based on Martin’s detailed notes.
With the proceeds from the album, Martin’s friends and family are now hoping to support the organisations that provided vital care during his illness, which included a clinical trial for innovative cancer drug at Newcastle’s Sir Bobby Robson Cancer Trials Research Centre.
Martin’s wife Maria had this to say about the work that these charities:
“The support we received from these organisations during Martin’s illness is something I, along with our wonderful daughter Cate, will always cherish. Their kindness and practical assistance during such a challenging time made a world of difference to our experience.
Martin was truly grateful for all they did for him, and it was his firm wish that proceeds from this album, one he was incredibly passionate about, went to them in order to support other families facing a cancer diagnosis.”
The latest single from Frazer Lambert shows the Stockton singer-songwriter at their best bearing his soul to gorgeously rich results.
Opening with an ornate brass section, the influence of the likes of Al Green and Marvin Gaye is immediately evident, with a soulful feeling woven throughout the track.
All of this combines to bring a very chilled vibe, placing the emphasis on Lambert’s excellent vocals.
Performed exquisitely, these vocals are both personal and calming, allowing the track to hit the heights.
Overall, this track brings a great ’70s soul vibe, which is incredibly pleasing to the ear. If you’re in the mood for something with a lot of heart, this one is for you.
Combining hard rock guitars and melodic songwriting, Ricky Clark has struck upon a winning formula with this mod-rock single.
The new single from Ricky Clark shows the artist’s eclectic taste, drawing influence from across the rock spectrum – from the Red Hot Chilli Peppers to the mod stylings of 90’s Paul Weller.
This is immediately clear from the song’s opening moments, which have a classic rock feel and an almost spooooky vibe, fitting perfectly with the season of its release.
However, Clark breaks away from this into a very RCHP feeling verse, featuring a hint of a sneering Liam Gallagher-style vocal powering the song along.
The momentum builds on the bridge, which features an excellent melodic falsetto that lingers in your memory.
Eventually, the track breaks down into a middle eight reminiscent of Arctic Monkeys’ Pretty Visitors, adding a menacing tone that complements the song perfectly.
Praise is certainly due for the songwriting on display, which shows both variation and attention to detail, especially in the song’s structure.
Overall, this is a really fun, guitar heavy track, perfect for fans of bands such as Ocean Colour Scene and Paul Weller.
The latest single from The Agency and The Samphires is a masterclass in atmosphere and storytelling, taking you on a darkly ominous journey.
Drawing influence from the likes of Nick Cave, the track blends cinematic themes with a dark aesthetic, which works incredibly well. Featuring the voices of The Samphires’ Elise Shields and Rosa Thomas in a hypnotic call-and-response waltz, the emphasis is firmly on the song’s lyrics.
It’s fortunate then that they really shine building a captivating story that matches the musical background painted by the groups. The whole thing sounds like how I feel the film The Lighthouse would sound if put to music.
The mood is set immediately with the introduction of the deepest of dark synths engulfing your entire ear creating the omnious feel which is reflect within the lyrics.
Lyrically, the track has a fairy tale or nursery rhyme quality, revolving around the “harbour” mentioned within the song’s title, with the duet working well between the two groups.
The whole thing leads to a spooky vibe that suits the season perfectly and is almost certainly one for those who are fans of atmospheric music with well-thought-out lyrics.
Friday night saw art-pop outfit Amateur Ornithologist celebrate their anniversary at The Globe with a vibrant live performance.
The night began with support from Sheffield’s May Days In Barcelona, who brought a different vibe to proceedings with a shoegaze-inspired brand of folk that was truly magical to witness.
May Days In Barcelona – Live at The Globe – 18/10/24
An awful lot of effort went into their performance, featuring numerous looper pedals, a violin and a guitar. This 100% paid off, delivering a captivating and engaging performance that silenced the room.
With songs inspired by such things as birds of prey, it’s no surprise that the set felt majestic and beautiful. The set was concluded by a wonderful cover of Smile! No One Cares How You Feel!, which rounded off the musically rich show well.
They were followed by Belle Skies, who shifted the mood from shoegaze-inspired folk to full blown indie rock. I was impressed by the groups stage prescence, which was both captivating and engaging, further enhancing their very unique style of indie rock.
Clad head to toe in medieval regalia, the group took influence from the least obvious places with songs inspired by Saint Rose of Lima, the patron saint of embroidery, and Nosferatu.
This all led to fun and surreal pieces of indie rock, which seemed to draw inspiration from the 2000s with twinkling synths, strings and riotous guitars.
The whole thing came together very well leaving an impression and showcasing their crop of great indie rock songs.
Belle Skies – Live at The Globe –18/10/24
Next up were headliners Amateur Ornithlogist, who decorated the stage in beautiful autumnal leaves and even dotted a few fake crows about for added effect. The group really took full advantage of their headline slot bringing energy and costumes aplenty to bring something different to their show.
However, the focus was fully on the performance, which was executed to perfection with the stage presence matching the quality of the songwriting on show. The whole thing popped with colour and excitement.
Musically, the band falls somewhere in between musical theatre, Talking Heads, and David Bowie, crafting a unique blend of traditional pop and new wave.
The combination of violins, guitars and thumping bass worked incredibly well to create a collage of fun, colourful songs with meaningful lyrics to boot.
Frontman Daniel Clifford’s vocals were excellent, injecting something special into each tune. This was further enhanced by the amazing lyrics, which flickered between personal topics and playful whimsy.
Amateur Ornithologist – Live at The Globe – 18/10/24
Particular highlights included When They Fall, with it’s epic Bowie-esque feel, and Birds Fly Over Me, which has been stuck in my head for days since the gig.
The instrumentation was fantastic throughout the night, with the band sounding tight. I especially want to praise the guitar work, which was truly excellent, without being overly showy with its beautifully clean tones.
The night concluded with a noncore that treated the crowd to a fun cover of Boney M’s Rasputin, a fittingly enjoyable finale with the band’s Talking Heads vibe turned up to ten.
Overall, I had a thoroughly enjoyable Friday night, and I’m excited to see where the group goes next as they depart the live scene to create their next album.
Boy Found Sound’s latest single is a heartbreakingly beautiful track, which further showcases the Teesside artist’s incredible songwriting talent.
The ethereal-sounding track has a chilled production, beginning with a great guitar line that shines above a well-crafted drum machine beat.
Lyrically, the track confronts loss, with Boy Found Sound laying everything bare throughout, producing an amazing set of deeply personal lyrics.
When the chorus comes along, it really pops, backed by an ethereal-sounding synth that adds to the track’s cold production.
As the song progresses, the drum machine is replaced by a slow, pounding drum beat, bringing a new energy to the track.
Overall, this is another really strong song from Boy Found Sound, combining a range of influences together to produce something both beautiful and original.
Combining experimentation with stark production, Durham’s Daniel Maple leaves no place to hide with his latest release.
From the first track, I Love You And I Hate Goodbye, it is immediately evident how much talent has gone into crafting this EP. With just an electric guitar and his vocals, the Durham singer-songwriter fills all available space with his songwriting talent and terrific singing voice.
The song opens with a gorgeous guitar flourish – something that runs throughout the EP – which sees Maple flex his rhythm and lead guitar skills, crafting complex and intricate melodies which are not immediately obvious to the ear.
Throughout, his guitar skills are matched by a set of defiant lyrics, which add an extra dimension to this beautiful track.
Crying In A Different Key uses musical metaphors to craft a creative set of lyrics that encapsulate Maple’s emotions. This lies atop an intricate rhythm guitar part fitted with a clean tone with an underlying bite.
A beautiful descending opening brings you into third track, Lewis, where Maple displays the strength of his vocals to really sell a touching track. This flows nicely into Waiting In The Catapult, which features a great chorus, with the Durham songwriter getting a lot out of a little.
On this particular track, I found shades of Elliot Smith alongside the influence of Bob Dylan which runs deep throughout the EP’s sharp lyrics.
Lonely Night takes a more full-bodied approach to the guitar work, weaving a beautiful love song that is capped off by a gorgeous set of yearning lyrics. It also features a great solo that illustrates Maple’s phenomenal guitar playing. This gives way to Easier Rider, which has a rockier feel, with more bite added to the guitar.
Closer War and Freedom features yet another complex melody, which still manages to sound warm, providing a gorgeous feel. Maple really saves the best for last, with the vocals delivering an epic performance worthy of the song.
Overall, this is a phenomenal EP that showcases what can be done with just an electric guitar and vocals. I really adored listening to every twist and turn.
Combining the very best of shoegaze and dream pop, Waves of Dread have produced one of the best EPs to come out of the North East this year with The Tide.
Following up 2023’s A Bad Dream in a Raging Sea, the Newcastle group have pushed themselves forward with their latest release, which combines lush production with excellent songwriting.
This all coalesces into a tight package that feels like waking up to a beautiful morning, with its hazy and distorted production.
Opener The Tide sets the dreamy tone, providing fun basslines and synths aplenty. Beneath the dream pop aesthetics lies an exceptionally written song, with a gorgeous chorus that hits all the right notes.
Early Riser builds on these aesthetics with a very trippy sounding beginning, featuring distant vocals and a beautiful guitar line built upon a bed of rainfall. As the track progresses, it welcomes gorgeously thick basslines into the mix, with a few hauntingly good synth lines thrown in for good measure. The whole thing feels like waking from a nice dream into a perfect morning.
The guitars clean up for Overspill, with its sharp guitar melody. The track once again demonstrates the smart production choices that run through the EP at its core. The use of layering is fabulous, allowing the track to get dirtier as it goes on, as layer upon layer of guitar is added to the overall mix.
Restless Sleeper, Sleepless Dreamer concludes the EP, using a glockenspiel to power the track forward, contributing massively to the dream pop feel. There’s more of an acoustic focus on this track, yet it is still washed in beautiful reverb.
Overall, this dream pop and shoegaze EP is a must-listen for fans of groups such as Slowdive and Cocteau Twins, with sharp songwriting and lush production.
Humbug North East 