Indie singer-songwriter Darren Burdis’ new single will certainly get hearts fluttering with a gorgeous, personal track.
The Newcastle songwriter has turned in a clever and touching acoustic ballad, hitting hard from the moment the needle drops.
The shimmering guitar line that floats atop the acoustic opening is a gorgeous way to start showcasing Burdis’ talent with the instrument and setting the track on the right path.
I particularly enjoyed how the drumbeat mirrored the rhythm of a heartbeat, reflecting the meticulous attention to detail in the production.
In terms of the overall vibe of the song I could hear the influences of indie folk artists such as Elliot Smith, particularly evident in the heartbreaking lyrics.
This is beautifully intertwined with the glossy guitar work which reminded me of the heartland rock of Bruce Springsteen and the North East’s own Sam Fender.
The vocal delivery is hoarse and husky perfectly suited to this track giving Burdis the perfect tools to paint this emotionally raw piece onto the record.
The gorgeous backing vocals towards the backend of the song evoke early Radiohead, and if you’re into similar acoustic indie music with a lot of heart, this single is definitely for you.
Friday night saw The Ship Isis in Sunderland play host to a great night of live music as post-punk band House Proud and gothic group The Black Rain took to stage to showcase the genre at its very best.
The gorgeous venue was a perfect choice for the evening, offering a selection of great craft beers and a warm, friendly environment. I’d never been before, but I’d definitely return if I’m ever in Sunderland.
The night was opened by House Proud, who hail from all across the North East. Their blend of post punk and noise rock was excellent and really got the night started in the right way.
Their sound carried influences from post-punk groups like The Chats, Squid, and Shame, with angular riffs and an energetic tempo driving their performance. Each track stood out with careful composition, crafted from an array of different guitar pedals that brought a near studio-quality sound.
Their third song, Farmers Village, soon to be released as a single, had shades of post-punk titans IDLES to it and was a particular treat. Recent single Rescue Dog finished the set off in the right way, sounding a bit like South London’s Shame, but with an even heavier emphasis on riffs and gloriously loud noise.
House Proud – Live at The Ship Isis, Sunderland
I particularly enjoyed Perfect Body, which was more melodic in its approach while still delivering the massive, bombastic sound that dominated their set.
Overall, their performance was amazing, and they will definitely be a band which I will be keeping an eye on going forward.
I also wanted to leave a link to Wearside Women In Need, a domestic violence service the group were raising funds for on the night. They have recently lost their funding, so it’s a worthy cause if you can support it!
Next were The Black Rain, who I previously covered back in March at their gig at the Bunker, where they really impressed me with their gothic post-punk.
Friday was no different with the group putting in yet another excellent performance of starkly dark tracks. The group have been hard at work since March and that could be seen in their performance with various new songs in the set which continue to show why the band are so special.
Despite the stark nature of their sound, The Black Rain‘s set fizzed with energy, with the thumping drums and bass keeping the atmosphere lively.
The bass was particularly impressive, adding depth to the performance, while the guitar lines often served as beautifully intricate embellishments.
However, when the guitar did come to the fore, it was really impressive, often bringing an almost synth-like sound to certain tracks, which was a real treat. Shadows Cry showcased this best, amplifying the gothic feel, reminiscent of Joy Division’s Closer LP.
I also enjoyed the dark ’80s vibe of Regression, which really opens up in the chorus, creating a really nice feel. Glass Box brought a lot of energy leaning more on the side of punk rather than goth which I found really enjoyable.
Overall, both bands put in a fantastic performance, which led to a really enjoyable night showing the various different styles of post punk each performed at a really high standard. Make sure to check them both out!
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.
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.
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.
Joyland brings the summer vibes with their slick new single, Leaving Tonight. Combining a number of different influences, the track’s shiny production hides a set of yearning lovesick lyrics.
Hailing from Newcastle, the five-piece has slowly gathered momentum over a number of years, something evident in their latest single.
Over three sun-kissed minutes, the group cultivates a catchy yet sophisticated vibe, drawing from various influences in the indie and pop genres.
The piano opening of the track echoes The 1975‘s If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know), with its stark, reverberated keyboard intro. This gives away to a guitar line washed in distortion and reverb straight out of the Sam Fender playbook.
The piano leads the track front and centre of the mix, alongside the amazing vocals, which are delivered with emotion and are well integrated into the track’s aesthetic.
As the buildup to the chorus begins, you can feel the band’s songwriting ability shining through as they expertly weave their way through the song, demonstrating their knack for producing a catchy indie pop melody.
The track’s strengths lie in its ebbs and flows, with various breakdowns building tension that is effortlessly released by the time of the chorus.
This gives way to a gorgeous guitar solo that sounds effortless. This is all enhanced by the excellent production, which boosts the track’s already strong songwriting.
This all leads to a really catchy, strong single from Joyland, perfect for the hazy weekends of festival season. The group are definitely ones to watch, and this is a bandwagon worth jumping on as they continue to head in one direction.
The latest single from That Clare is a gorgeous tapestry of sound and positivity, confronting toxic attitudes while delving into the personal and emotive issues that have shaped her.
The trans singer-songwriter combines a number of different influences on the track to amazing effect, boldly confronting toxic influences within her deeply personal lyrics.
That Clare In Concert – Photo by Andi Christ – @andichrist19
The track begins with a beautifully worked synth, reminiscent of the work of artists such as Mitski. The synth bed sets a dreamy vibe of the track, further enhanced by a lovely arpeggio guitar line building on the instrumentation. Combined, the instrumentation echoes of post-nineties Radiohead with its atmospheric tone.
The musical landscape of the first half of the track is stark and ominous, reflecting the lyrics which reference feeling lost.
The production by Lisa Murphy does an excellent job of building the atmosphere and growing the momentum of the track.
This momentum pays off around the halfway point of the track, where the song goes up a gear, upping the tempo and bringing a fullness to the instrumentation that matches the defiant nature of the lyrics.
Self love is very much the message from this point on, with That Clare shutting the door on negative influence and embracing herself. “You can do it without them” is the overriding message and acts as a powerful, empowering declaration.
Consciousness does an excellent job of weaving a number of diverse influences together to create something unique and personal. The defiant message of the song will resonate with many and illustrates the Teesside singer’s bold voice, which is endlessly captivating.
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