It’s very close to the end of May and this is our fifth singles round up of 2021.
There are ten quite different tunes from ten clearly talented bands and singers, one of whom (Arcade Fortress) have featured on With Just A Hint Of Mayhem before, but I am confident that all ten will appear here again in the future. This bunch come from Newcastle, West Midlands, Lincoln, Nashville (USA), Aberdeen, Coventry, the Netherlands and London. Inject this bunch of tunes into you as soon as possible. Click here to check out the Spotify playlist with all ten songs on it!
“Be My Saturday” – Sirocco
A very UK mid 90s vibe, the guitar screams perfectly and the vocals will drift across a festival field nicely! The tune also has a fine dose of psych too.
“Sunflower Girl” – Giant And The Georges
This instantly conjures up a feeling of summer for me. A delightful slice of jangly, happy indie with harmonies to die for! It left me with a huge smile and made me feel great!
“Uppercut” – Arcade Fortress
This is a tribute to Pembroke Boxing Club and I reckon it would be a great addition to a training playlist. We reviewed a previous single of theirs a couple of months back and found a Depeche Mode influence. But this shows their versatility as they come on like a resurrected Motorhead! This is pure unadulterated mosh food and I love it!
“Upside Down” – Gabe Baker
A fine portion of classy modern R & B which throws back to the best of Marvin Gaye vocally and the great use of strings (cellos I think) evokes Norman Whitfield’s production work for the Temptations. It is the kind of tune that you must sing along and dance to, I wouldn’t be surprised if that was the law! Another song that left me with a huge smile.
“Relay” – Lachlan
A haunting anthemic tune from this talented Scottish singer songwriter. It makes me want to hear more from him, tunes are infectious and stick with you long after they finish!
“Harder Now (For Love)” – Senses
A strong Stone Roses crossed with Kasabian feel musically, but very original as well. Vocals are evocative of Spiritualized and Inspiral Carpets. I reckon this bunch will be great live!
“Brainwashed” – Norquay
This is rock with soul and emotion. Mountainous riffs and awesome vocals. Apparently the song is about a good work colleague of Norquay’s who encountered two suicide bombers while out on a military operation. “NO where to run , NO where to hide, can’t escape a brainwashed suicide!!”
“Out Of Here” – Charlotte Spiral
This is a haunting piano driven piece with a sensuous and heavenly vocal. This would fit perfectly on the soundtrack of a David Lynch film. It is the first track on the new Charlotte Spiral EP, ‘New Light’. Incidentally the Charlotte Spiral is a figure skating move, I never knew that!
“Gonnie” – The Awkward
This is one hell of a feel good tune. Danceable, great hooks, excellent harmonies and counterpoint vocals. My only criticism is that at less than two minutes it is way too short, but I guess playing it on repeat would solve that in a way!
“Cheap Red Wine” – Muca & La Marquise
A very chilled and very dark haunting lament. There is clearly a relationship story here and it fits perfectly into this great tune. The production is first class, especially as the song builds to a real crescendo. It makes me want to check out more from Muca & La Marquise.
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