SHADER are back following their amazing lockdown cover of Simple Minds’ ‘(Don’t You) Forget About Me’ a few months ago with new single ‘Runaway’. Sounding fresh and certainly raw, ‘Runaway’ opens with a killer guitar riff that recalls The Undertones before building into their by now signature melodic indie sound. There’s a definite energy from vocalist Stu Whiston - an authentic passion that is difficult to ignore. ‘Runaway’ is our Single Of The Week and a masterclass in contemporary indie rock.
This week we launched our podcast which will drop every Monday. With exclusive live sessions and interviews lined up, we also play the latest indie tunes., Hosted by our Deputy Editor Adam Jackson-Wright, it really is a great listen- click here to check out the first episode.
We start this week’s review with a double A side from In Earnest- ‘Your Dog’ and ‘Good Boy’. Yes, there’s a theme here. The songs are both about their dogs. ‘Your Dog’ is written for Murph. Yes it is sentimental but not corny; a tender acoustic ode that will strike a chord with dog lovers everywhere. The flip side, ‘Good Boy’ is for a four legged friend who has crossed over Rainbow Bridge - another tender and poignant track. It is easy to perhaps dismiss songs that are about such a personal topic but there is no egocentricity here, just a couple of easy listenable songs...Recorded at the legendary Rockfield Studio, The Lotts have also released a double A-side. ‘Out Of It’ is a cavalcade of intense guitar and raucous garage rock vocals. An intense two minutes of glorious mayhem. ‘I’ll Get Round To It’ has a more traditional chord progression and all the more accessible for it. A fine pairing of songs…’Haggard Muggins’ is the new release from West Midlands band Headshrinkers. With thumping drums and an emotive melody, ‘Haggard Muggins’ is unflinching poetry - when Garran Hickman screams “what are you looking at me for?”, the intensity is real. With echoes of Joy Division, Headshrinkers are a band with clear intellectual depth...South London trio Ski Lift have delivered their second single, ‘Portal’. With a riff straight out of The Vaseline’s ‘Molly’s Lips’, this one is a proper ear worm of a tune that literally leaves me wanting more. With an almost dreamy chorus, ‘Portal’ is catchy as hell in all aspects. A fantastic effort that is a must listen…’Joker’ is the new single by The Haciendas, a new band whose debut single ‘It’s Not Too Late’ broke into the iTunes Alternative Chart top ten. A solid bass line drives this one that has an incredible wave of guitar in the chorus, which itself is as anthemic as it gets. A truly impressive release...Paul Nixon first caught our attention with his Oasis inspired huge previous single ‘Coming To Get You’, one of our favourite songs of 2020. ‘It’s Alright Now’ is his latest release and showcases Nixon’s songwriting diversity. With slowly strummed guitar and a melody that ebbs and flows, ‘It’s Alright Now’ has a certain maturity within. The lead guitar doesn’t get unleashed in the way that it teases here which is a shame as the song is crying out for a blistering guitar solo. Nonetheless, another feather in Nixon’s cap...Brighton singer songwriter Jacko Hooper has released ‘This Was The Earth’ along with a brilliantly dark music video to accompany. ‘This Was The Earth’ is delicate with a perfect unique vocal...Coral Palms are a four-piece indie-pop band from Devon who bring the sound of the summer early on new release ‘Echoes’. Painting a picture of a summer’s evening on the beach and the complexities of a relationship, this is a fine indie-pop song that doesn’t have any pretensions. One of this week’s standout releases…’Turn Up The Music’ is the quirky single from Future Radio - a truly unique vocal and unmistakable rock guitar...Thom Southern has teamed up with Spacemen 3’s Sonic Boom on ‘Soul Singer’ - a tuneful release. Modern guitar pop is infused with a lo-fi underground sound…’Over You’ by NEEVE has an energetic and distinctive pop sound. A full, in your face vocal opens this one that is tinged with hints of 80’s nostalgia. The chorus is pure pop; an euphoric eruption of gigantic proportions...popular York alt-indie/pop trio King No-One dive headfirst into 2021 with ‘Bad Porno’, a bouncy and blissful tune that betrays their more gritty image. The chorus is punchy; the lyrics wry and intelligent. ‘Bad Porno’ is a welcome release from a band who are at the top of their game..and finally we have Liam Hillyer and ‘Where I’m Supposed To Be’, an upbeat jand jangly pop tune. Taking a leaf out of the pages of The Housemartins, ‘Where I’m Supposed To Be’ is a solid acoustic song that thunders along at a brisk pace. Delivered by his tuneful North-West vocal, Hillyer has a clear songwriting talent. A fantastic song to round off this week’s reviews.
All of the songs mentioned here can now be listened to on our Spotify Playlist.
The Our Sound Music Indie All Dayer is taking place in Hull on Sunday September the 26th. Tickets go on sale at 1PM on Friday March the 26th. Northern Uproar. The Voyd, The Underclass and The Sheratons have been announced so far for this incredible all day gig. Visit here for more information.
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