Skinner – Calling in Sick
The intro and underlying vibe to Calling in Sick has a distinct Young Fathers groove to it, add to that the frenetic discombobulating and nervous energy that Skinner brings to the track and you have a winning formula that creates an uneasy but highly engaging listen taking the subjects of work and mental health as its template.
Shimmer ‘94 – I Heard You Say
A post-punk/indie anthem of epic proportions, an unassuming intro demanding to unveil a mellifluous cacophony of layered instruments with a vocal and refrain that takes me back to the days of the much missed Dead Hope.
Horsegirl – Switch Over
The January single from the band from New York City/Chicago not the nightmare inducing DJ Switch Over is the latest cut from Horsegirl’s second long player Phonetics On and On, due to be released on Valentine’s Day, once again the band serve up a divine slice of mesmeric laidback slacker rock.
Skunk Anansie – An Artist is an Artist
I can’t quite believe that Skin and Co. in Skunk Anansie have been around for 30 years now (with a hiatus in the 2000’s), the unique rockers still have the ability to delight and an innate knack of releasing slightly left-field off-kilter alt-rock tracks of which this single is a prime example, mixing electro beats with a thunderous rhythm section alongside rock guitars and Skin’s distinctive vocal, her astute lyrics delivered in the acerbic style only she can execute.
The Middlenight Men – The Kids We Wanna Be
A melancholic adieu from the wonderful Middlenight Men in the shape of the wistful reflection that is The Kids We Wanna Be, and a sound that sits somewhere between the likes of the rock sound of Terrorvision and their ilk and, I hesitate to say, 90’s Oasis.
Delivery – Deadlines
The latest album from Antipodean garage rockers Force Majeure is a force to be reckoned with, the release of this mighty piledriver of a single just preceding the mid-January release of the superb album.
Drop Nineteens – Mayfield
The final song to be released ahead of the February release of 1991, a selection of early demos and tracks for the Us shoegaze band, is this version if the excellent Mayfield.
Peter Capaldi – Sweet Illusions
I must admit I never imagined I’d be writing about a single released by an ex-Dr Who, but here we are. Peter Capaldi has returned to the fray, following up his debut 2021 solo album, with the title track of his 2nd album released later this year in Last Night From Glasgow just a few (!) years after his days with The Dreamboys with Craig Ferguson. You’d be forgiven for thinking from the opening bars that this could be a new Teenage Fanclub song, but once it is in full flow, musically Sweet Illusions feels like a comforting hug with a deep warm brogue in the vocal delivery more akin to Chris Thomson and The Bathers. I’m looking forward to the album.