Max Norton catapulted onto the indie rock scene once again with his latest seminal single, ‘Comets’. The resounding echo of college radio days mingles the discordant charm of Sonic Youth with the raw punch of 60s garage rock. Each chorus hits with a barrage of anthemic hooks, delivering an impact so potent it feels like a blissful demise—there are far worse ways to go. The triumph of ‘Comets’ lies not only in its sticky-sweet, charismatic vocals but also in its meticulous production. With minimalist touches that amplify rather than overshadow, the production allows Norton’s authentic talent to ..read more

With elements of dreamy indie and classic rock n roll as the cornerstones of their sonic signature in their latest seminal single, Ride Your Luck, the West Midland’s prodigal sons of innovation, Three Mile Island, found plenty of room between the stylistic pillars of influence to inject their own over-driven, time-defying, alchemy. The haunting chorus, which incidentally replicates what Black Sabbath’s single Changes does to the soul, fused with vocals that are as locked and loaded with visceral dynamite as Chris Cornell’s, Rolling Stones-reminiscent lead guitar work and an underpinning aura o ..read more

We Are the Weeds by the Lürxx doesn’t give you a love them or loathe them option; no rock fan could be impervious to the thunderous punch that melds the raucous energy of sleaze rock with a sharp environmental edge. With their roots firmly planted in the Hollywood glam punk scene, this duo not only revitalises the rock and roll ethos by championing the protection of the natural world in addition to smashing the system. Their music bridges the raw vibe of the 1980s Sunset Strip, reminiscent of legends like Twisted Sister and Guns N’ Roses, with acoustic nuances that echo the Quireboys and Dogs ..read more

Deully, the solo project of the independent Canadian rock virtuoso, Darren Sawrenko, has added to his accoladed discography by releasing his eagerly-awaited latest LP, This Long Road, and this time, his stellar songwriting stripes are bolstered by a lyrical intensity which provides a candour-fuelled exposition on his ongoing battle with mental health and recovery. Each of the singles on the LP is a reflection of his psyche at the time of writing. The title single is entrenched in the agony and the glimpses of hope of acknowledging that the road to recovery necessitates fortitude and endurance ..read more

The superlatively soulful German pop duo, Seßler/Zeeb, sprinkled swathes of (Ziggy) stardust into the production of their 70s folk singer-songwriter-tinged rock-pop ballad, If No One, which implores the listener not to discard humanity and compassion in an era which is becoming increasingly hard to bear. Over the gentle major piano keys, the lyrics find a way of directly engaging you, pulling you into the plea to bolster the strength of humanity by one act of kindness at a time. The reprise of “if no one really cares” affirms that feeling as though you’re all alone in your plights is one of th ..read more

Magenta Wave’s latest single, “Why Am I In Love With You,” vocally tears at the heartstrings with a fervency akin to Thom Yorke and Frightened Rabbit’s Scott Hutchinson. This track is an atom bomb of melancholy that flips the usual narrative of romanticism upside down. It melodically implores listeners to explore the agony of falling in love when your relationship with yourself is on unsteady ground. With the guitars sonically visualising the disorientation of losing control under another’s influence, and the rhythm section driving this tormented vignette forward, the vocals find an achingly a ..read more

Brikcs, a visionary from the ethereal edges of music’s evolving landscape, delivered a profound auditory experience in his latest single, King. With a foundation laid by a Mogwai-meets-Portishead neo-classic intro of eloquent keys and phantasmically distorted vocal notes, the track boldly transitions into the dark territories of trap. If you went down the rabbit hole and instead of finding wonderland you entered innovation’s nirvana and met your demons, your trip would come a close visceral second to hitting play on King. The artistic juxtaposition in King — between harsh, ensnaring bars and t ..read more

When it rains, it pours, and in Cold Hard Rain, the latest single from the singer-songwriter and touring troubadour Jon Fritz, the soulful rock reverie pours deliciously. After an intro of layered gospel-esque harmonies, Cold Hard Rain sells vintage indie rock sanctuary; the bluesy guitar bends carve chemistry across the upbeat rhythm section as Jon Fritz vocalises in the middle ground beyond college radio rock and grunge. Vedder himself couldn’t have performed this release better. There are expansive releases; then there are singles that refuse to inhibit themselves by following genre constra ..read more

Sweet enough to give hopeless romantics hope, the standout single, More Than You’ll Ever Know, from singer-songwriter Brian Berggoetz is a melodious ode to a true love that can be alluded to in words but never fully captured. Springsteen may have been born to run, but Berggoetz was born to bring warmth and depth to the pop-rock scene; More Than You’ll Ever Know is the ultimate attestation to his legacy. With vocals that caress as tenderly as the simple yet profoundly affecting instrumental arrangement, the single unravels as the dreamiest earworm you’ll hear this year. With the stunning serena ..read more

Alley of the Dolls, Yorkshire’s alt-rock revelation, delivered a thunderous wake-up call with their single ‘Broken Skies’. The standout from their EP ‘Urethane‘, is a movement scribed through Jacob Stephenson’s and Adam Pickering’s shared passion for the gritty, grungy, and raw energy of 90s rock. ‘Broken Skies’ lyrically tackles a subject as delicate as it is devastating – the rising phenomenon of school shootings. Few artists have dared to go beyond lyrically mourning the tragedy, but Alley of the Dolls does so with a boldness that is both haunting and necessary. Their words don’t just skim ..read more