TRACKS

RESERVOIRS - WARSAWA

Words: James Hattersley

Work sucks – I know. This follows me through every workday and makes me grimace that nothing has changed since 1999. This is the sentiment of new County Durham upstarts Reservoirs and their jangly slice of modern life frustration, Warsawa. The band wear their influences on their sleeves; taking the eccentricities of 80’s alt. pop which flirts with that mid 2010’s bedroom pop sound and dusted off with a modern indie sheen. Deliciously effects-drenched guitars carry a delightful melody that cascades like a waterfall – backed by a knee jerking rhythm that keeps the whole song from lifting into the clouds. Warbles of being overwhelmed with your career and the longing to just be anywhere else complete this ode to complete job dissatisfaction. Released: 13.10.22 www.facebook.com/reservoirsmusic

CHARLIE THOMAS - SUMMERS LIKE THIS EP

Words: Liv Aldridge

Charlie Thomas’ new EP is a sudden departure from his arguably richer folk sound, where his velvety voice is a focal point. Always stands out as the most abstract and alluring of the tracks, and on this and Special Person the drum machine produces a beat that is unyieldingly sharp on the ear, but perhaps this is Thomas’ intention, and with its distorted vocals the release calls to mind the likes of Joy Division. What’s missing are the truly catchy moments in the songs and lyrical matter, I am looking for a sideshift or an out-of-place word that wrenches the distortions into true weirdness. Right now they sound too clean to be entirely memorable. Hear the tracks performed at Disgraceland in Middlesborough on Friday 4th November and see for yourself. Released: 26.09.22 www.charliethomas2.bandcamp.com

SAM NIX A GIRL - I MET ON THE TUBE LAST WEEK

Words: James Hattersley

Ever wondered what would happen if you spoke to that person opposite you on your daily commute into your mundane job? Sam Nix answers that that question and more with his latest single: the Anglo-twisted piece of Americana, A Girl I Met On The Tube Last Week. A blissfully paced regale of a chance meeting on public transport, the minimalist arrangement of acoustic guitar and sparse drums meanders and saunters like cigarette smoke in a pub. This never steals focus from the melancholic and elegant vocals and the story they tell. Heartfelt, wistful, juxtaposed with a hopefulness, Nix ultimately dishes out the lesson; next time your eyes meet on the train, take that chance. It might be the best thing you ever do. Released: 07.10.22 www.samnixmusic.com

Image by Victoria Wai

EVE COLE - HYPOPHORA

Words: Michael O’Neill

It’s been quite a momentous couple of years for Eve Cole. Having once bagged a Demo of the Month with the fantastic Tesco, she’s since gone on to win this year’s prestigious Alan Hull Award, and seen her recent release Nice Guy Syndrome shortlisted for the BBC Introducing Live Lounge competition. Hypophora is a brilliant new chapter in her fledgling career, seeing Eve take on a hard-edged alternative sound that brilliantly showcases her phenomenal talents as a songwriter, with the widescreen-sound production breathing life into the song’s raw exploration of a toxic relationship that never veers into cliché, with the urgent piano, militant snares, tense guitar and snaking bass perfectly matching the conflict contained within the track. Released: 07.10.22 www.instagram.com/pudmusic

LAUREN ARMOUR - GIRL CODE

Words: Cameron Wright

Girl Code is a spacey piano piece written as a plea, lyrically reminiscent of a modern Jolene, crashing over an array of synths and damning vocals. Spliced with heartbreak and bitterness, the sentiment behind the song is instantly relatable, even if it doesn’t turn this relatability into anything profound. With a big, repeated chorus and a generally striking hook, the song shares the same shortcomings as the lyrics, bringing forward something harmlessly enjoyable and incongruous, but falling just shy of anything unique or personable. Too familiar for its own good. The penmanship shows an ability to tap into something current and real, but the instrumentation feels more akin to a pastiche of the ballads of the early 10s. It’s clear that Lauren Armour has something to offer, but this may not be it. Released: 07.10.22 www.facebook.com/laurenarmourmusic

RAMÉ KARI - 80 WATTS

Words: Michael O’Neill

Arriving fresh on the heels of their debut release Lil Lighty, 80 Watts is another urgent and engaging transmission from the Stockton-based hip-hop outfit, whose infectious passion for their craft radiates through every bar of their 808-deep sound. They see music as more than just a creative pursuit, but their destiny, with a mission to bring about positivity and joy through their releases. 80 Watts is more restrained, but once again reinforces just how capable they are of doing so, with the infectious lyricism brilliantly showcasing the breadth of their talent and the wide-ranging influences that inform their approach. All in all, it’s another top-class release from a group with a huge amount of promise. Released: 14.10.22 www.ramekari.carrd.co

HUMAN TOOTH - BEARPARK EP

Words: Michael O’Neill

An engulfing wave of buzzsaw guitars and guttural vocals burst through the speakers like a tidal wave crashing through a bolted door. It doesn’t let up for 15 minutes, sweeping you up in its path and throwing you full tilt into the frenzied soundworld of Durham-based multi-instrumentalist Scott Davidson who, as Human Tooth, follows up his debut EP, 2020’s Bedroom Wreck, with a five-track dose of beautifully murky and glorious scuzz rock. From the jaw-dropping title track, through to the tense OvSto and urgent Imagine On Teeth, Scott succeeds in throwing everything but the kitchen sink at your ears whilst never outstaying his welcome; it’s an exhilarating clinic in the power of glorious noise. Released: 05.10.22 www.facebook.com/humantooth

GONE TOMORROW - BARCELONA

Words: Cameron Wright

There’s a snarl locked in the vocals that couples perfectly with the crunchy guitar that speaks of a scrappy, youthful vengeance. An adolescent anger, which hinges on that tangible sense of destruction and pain that comes from the insignificant parts of life, which fuels the teenage years. The lyrics aren’t exactly sculpted into any real mould, but the song never tries to imply that the lyrics are the selling point. What you get with Barcelona is a chorus with a song attached to it. The incendiary chorus explodes, firing off with wonderfully repugnant vocal fry and a solo flying off into the heavens. Until the chorus, the track maybe underwhelming, but when it strikes, it strikes with purpose. Released: 07.10.22 www.linktr.ee/gonetomorrowband

HEAD OF LIGHT ENTERTAINMENT - SICK & TIRED EP

Words: Niamh Poppleton

The almost uncategorisable Head Of Light Entertainment are back with a new EP, Sick & Tired, full of their usual eclectic excellence. From the blistering, rhythmic intensity of the title track, through to the witty critique of negative people in Bricks In A Suitcase, each song weaves its own unique and intriguing narrative, often echoing the feelings of the nation in the current climate. Arguably the standout track is Tell Me What I’ve Done Wrong which, in all of its electronic punk perfection, displays the hardships of one individual struggling within the turmoil of a broken friendship. In Sick & Tired, Head Of Light Entertainment’s ability to not fit into one box is again clearly evident. Please never change! Released: 01.10.22 www.facebook.com/headoflightentertainment

CATCH THE SPARROW FAREWELL - HERE’S THE TENDER COMING

Words: Cameron Wright

This is a gentle, tender affair. Although there’s no official definition, the mark of good folk music has always been linked to communicating the most while doing the least, never overstating or embellishing, yet weaving a tapestry where every thread fits perfectly. Farewell – Here’s The Tender Coming captures that with ease, encapsulating the heart of the genre in a way that’s imbued with heart. Although the track may take a moment to find its groove, as the opening minute provides an almost a capella, naked atmosphere, it’s when the instrumental begins to swell that the track truly shines. As a gorgeous, lilting vocal dances gracefully over the strings, this stellar interpretation does the song every piece of justice. Released: 07.10.22 www.catchthesparrow.nl

GEORGE BOOMSMA - WHAT’S LEFT BEHIND EP

Words: James Hattersley

Turn off your mind, relax and float downstream while you envelop into the delicate world created by George Boomsma and his latest EP release, What’s Left Behind. Each track breathes and feels like an elongated respite. There are pains and doubts just below the surface but they are navigated beautifully and with much majesty. An evolution of Boomsma’s previous work – his sympathetically plucked guitar is backed by a tender-hearted string quartet which fully immerses you into his world and is further amplified by his velour-soaked vocals. The journey of relationships, self-acceptance and finding a path forward despite uncertainties are painted in a word tapestry that will leave you questioning what came before you, how did you get here and what is lying ahead. Released: 06.10.22 www.georgeboomsma.com

FINE NIGHT ELEMENTS - SOMEBODY NEW

Words: Ewan Gleadow

Jangle pop influences and a steady, tough voice strike through on Somebody New, the latest track from North East rockers Fine Night Elements. Frontman Kristian Whatcott engages with the out of body experiences that come from the “thoughtless shell” he sings of coolly. What surrounds Somebody New is a collection of crashing drums and well-worked guitar sections that give plenty of creative ground across this three-minute track. A piece that feels equally measured as a reflection of the self and as an out-of-body piece of freedom, Fine Night Elements offer up a delicate, short track of reflective beauty and quality musicianship. Released: 14.10.22 www.linktr.ee/finenightelements