Scouse songstress Zuzu returns to form on ‘My Old Life’, a song reminiscent of the best 90’s indie singer-songwriters. Zuzu’s unmistakable voice here is one we could listen to all day - the phrasing perfect, the chorus radio friendly, the hard acoustic sound produced to perfection. With an album on the way and a string of mostly sublime previous releases under her belt, Zuzu is a special talent who seemingly has the world at her feet. ‘My Old Life’ is our Single Of The Week...
Villa In France are a three-piece indie-rock band from the very North of Northern Ireland whose new single ‘Burned Out’ kicks our reviews off this week. The track builds to what has to be a crescendo before teasingly pulling back, before unleashing a serious guitar riff around the two minute mark. ‘Burned Out’ is complex, alluring and simply brilliant. Villa In France’s debut EP is out in the autumn…All Time Low have teamed up with Pale Waves for their new single ‘PMA’. It’s cheesy faux pop-punk with that annoyingly saccharine vocal that lacks anything of substance, much like the track itself. Things pick up a little when Heather from Pale Waves takes over for a verse and a chorus but that’s my bias of being a huge fan of Pale Waves more than anything else...’Lost & Found’ is the stripped-back and intense release from Carmen McLean. A melancholic violin solo is the centerpiece of a delightful song that is full of endearing vulnerability…’Sundial’ is the full on new single from Ambro River, a Liverpool-based alt-rock artist who is releasing a single a month up until December, with a full EP being the end target. The 90’s indie-rock guitar riff and sound runs through the veins of this tuneful release which has a catchy chorus to boot...The Blams released their debut single ‘Never Knew’ last month to much aplomb and follow up release ‘Throwing Rocks’ cements the trio as one of the most exciting new bands of the summer. ‘Throwing Rocks’ is gritty, grungy and great. The vocal a proper full-grown-man rock drawl, the guitars delightfully sludgy. One of the standout releases of the week…’What Is A life?’ is the third single of 2021 from indie rockers Third Lung, who have recently announced their own rock festival LODDFEST. One thing that stands out immediately is the incredible vocal from frontman Tom Farrelly, who has the kind of rock voice that us mere mortals can only wish for. With zero pretentions, ‘What Is A Life?’ is an authentic rock song that adds to the band’s growing repertoire of solid anthems...East Sussex indie-rock five-piece MARLOW bring us ‘Blame It’, a glorious synth lead and zesty track that has one of those amazing fast-rhyming choruses that makes it hard to resist hitting the back button just to listen to it again immediately. Vocalist Freddie has a raw vocal that reaches its peak at the third chorus as the emotion gets real. A frankly sublime release and a song that you should probably go and listen to right now…’Mad Machine’ is by Callow Youth, a band who have musically matured to perfection over the last few years. Straight to the point, ‘Mad Machine’, is four and a half minutes of rip-roaring aural mayhem that has to be even that more brilliant when played live...American Duo The Night Alone have released their debut single ‘Took My Breath Away’, which is a slice of 80’s inspired pop. The band have a variety of influences and draw on them to great effect; with shades of The 1975 at their most poppiest, ‘Took My Breath Away’ is a startling introduction to The Night Alone...Popular Leeds band Apollo Junction, who this week announced a support slot with The Kaiser Chiefs, have released the poignant and reflective ‘When We Grow Up’. The music video features footage of fan-sent video clips that is joyous to watch. The track is a mature and emotional anthem (in the proper sense of the word) that is a ready-made sing-a-long. An absolute triumph, ‘When We Grow Up’ adds real depth to the band’s growing catalogue of songs…’Sunshine’ sounds like summer in a bottle, a vibrant single release from The Lottery Winners whose album ‘Something To Leave The House For’ is out on the 24th of September. Bassist Katie Lloyd takes on the vocal duties here, and it is a delight. A perfect summer pop track, ‘Sunshine’ deserves to take pride and place on any summer playlist...Rising indie-pop quartet Enfers hail from Leeds (like most exciting new bands these days) and their new single ‘Waiting Rooms’ is a tender, polished and effortless pop delight. A song to really sit and listen to intently, ‘Waiting Rooms’ is endearing, unpretentious and simply phenomenal. The band are releasing an EP in good time which is bound to be a must-listen...Blue Violet first came to our attention when they released their cover of the Edwyn Collins classic ‘A Girl Like You’. The duo are back with original single ‘White Beaches’, a song that is lyrically about saving the planet but could easily be a love song - like everything, it is open to your own interpretation. What can’t be queried however is the beautifully emotional vibe to ‘White Beaches’. The music creates an atmosphere of longingness and heartbreak; a genuinely overpowering release that this writer will be listening to for years to come.
Most of the tracks above can be listened to on our Spotify Playlist here.
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