TRACKS

Image: Cat Ryan by Kristoff Photography

CAT RYAN - REX MUNDI

Words: Hope Lynes

Quaint in its nature, this upbeat song is rooted in laid-back songwriting, dreamt up by songwriter Mary-Anne while visiting her rural family farm with no distractions. This is a happy track that is easy to listen to, yet hard to get out of your head. The Newcastle-based art rock band have perfectly crafted a piece that is artistic in nature, with style and meaning emerging within the two-minute listen. The speed and agility of a greyhound (the titular Rex Mundi) is used as a metaphor for strength and character, with themes of resistance and adopting alternative mindsets prevalent throughout, making for a smart tale of symbolism all wrapped neatly within a quick and quirky song replete with upbeat drums and a fast-paced bassline.

Released: 06.05.22 www.facebook.com/catryan17

AMATEUR ORNITHOLOGIST - HERMIT PHASE

Words: Kate Murphy

You can’t help but smile from the very start of Daniel Clifford’s new track. There’s a touch of The Monkees in its blissful rise and fall, warmth and ever-forwardness, as it carries you along like a carousel with more bounce and a definite destination. When the world gets too much, sometimes the only sense of comfort or sanity that can be found is by briefly burying your head in the sand, and this is the ode to it. It’s like looking at a cereal box while on drugs that are being kind to you: “Start a brand new day / Cobweb blown away /Deal with my malaise / In my hermit phase”, Clifford sings, and you can almost picture the chorus of cartoon cockerels helping to deliver the message.

Released: 06.05.22 www.amateurornithologist.bandcamp.com

CHRIS KELLY - BETTER DAYS

Words: Luke Waller

A soft-hearted ode to moving forwards into brighter times by singersongwriter Chris Kelly – although decidedly optimistic in its hope-tinged tunes, lyrics and backbeat-stabbing guitar, there is something bittersweet and perhaps sadly nostalgic hidden away underneath. The emotion involved in the track’s composition is almost more audible than any single part of it in isolation – this is championed by the moment the song breaks into the chorus like a heavy but relieved sigh. Kelly has been gigging and recording now for almost a decade, and has played as a solo artist since 2016, with an ever-expanding back catalogue since then. His greatest influences are clearly heard in this latest single: a Traveling Wilburys palette applied to a Sam Fender-esque canvas.

Released: 06.05.22 www.linktr.ee/chriskellygtr

TO NOWHERE - LOW

Words: Tom Astley

Riff-heavy anthem Low is the debut single from reinvented rock band To Nowhere. Returning with a much-changed line-up, Low opens with chorus-laden bass and crisp drums which underpin lyrically sparse vocals that melodically outline a relationship turned sour. The track explodes in a chorus of chunky distorted guitars and cymbals that is no less enjoyable for being inevitable. The band cite You And Me At Six and Nothing But Thieves as influences, but there’s a definite slice of 90s grunge in there too, especially in the vocal style, which has a Stone Temple Pilots-esque quality. Equally, the guitar solo, the quiet-loud structure and the thumping kick drum over howling harmonics before the outro all pay homage to the grunge palette.

Released: 06.05.22 www.facebook.com/tonowhereband

FRANKIE JOBLING - GRATEFUL

Words: Hope Lynes

My favourite thing about this new Frankie Jobling track is how her voice sounds like an instrument, perfectly complimenting the melodic, soothing backing instruments to create a soulful soundscape that is both catchy and smart. Grateful is rooted in ending a difficult relationship, and has plenty of self love. The lyrics “I took a date with myself / it was the sweetest breakthrough”, root this otherwise melancholic and somewhat toxic tale in a newfound happiness. It’s a real treat to witness such an open and honest expression of prioritising loving yourself. Mastered by BBC Radio 1 favourite Bob MacKenzie, the soundscape is beautifully layered into a summery tune that will no doubt be relatable and genuine for Frankie’s growing army of fans.

Released: 29.04.22 www.linktr.ee/frankiejobling

KULPA - RIGHT HERE

Words: Jake Anderson

Kulpa made their debut this year, and their second single already shows the promising future the band have. ‘Short but sweet’ was the phrase spinning round my head after my initial listen, although I wouldn’t quite call the instrumentation of Right Here sweet… The track features a deeply layered alt. rock soundscape, with elements of metal. The listener is assaulted by dominant drums and dynamic guitar riffs immediately, which are overpowering yet pleasant. The prominence of these instruments does hide the vocals back in the mix, which is a shame when so much care was placed into the lyrics. Easily the highlight, the track culminates at the peak, only to unleash a seductive guitar solo to cap off the track, leaving a perfect final impression.

Released: 06.05.22 www.linktr.ee/kulpaofficial

NALGO BAY - RIOT TOWN

Words: Jake Anderson

The influence the 2000s is having on the 2020’s is monumental. A great deal of the music is nostalgia-based, but a lot is taking the best of the decade and repurposing it into something new. That’s clearly the approach taken by Cayton band Nalgo Bay on their newest single, Riot Town. The song features the same groovy and ear twitching guitar riffs that permeated 2000s rock, along with the punk rock inspired vocals, but used less chaotically and more strategically. The song perfectly understands the best moments of satisfaction in its instrumental, bringing the energy levels down to a two until suddenly crashing them back up to 11. It’s incredibly effective, and a song that could soundtrack a thriving mosh pit.

Released: 20.05.22 www.linktr.ee/nalgobay

CHOP5 - BUG STOMPER

Words: Luke Waller

Clocking in at six-and-a-half minutes, the trance and techno influences on this latest release from North Shields’ very own electronica maestro Chop5 are plain for all to hear. Continually layering looped phrases – from laser-gun stomping beats and intricate drumlines to distorted vocal lines which seem to resemble a dog’s twisted metamorphosis into a cat – much of which may send you whirl winding back to late-’80s acid house. Ever-industrious Chop5 has had a busy year, with numerous releases gaining airtime on local radio stations, including BBC Introducing North East. But on their way are a series of singles, beginning with Bug Stomper – which, for those wondering, is a film reference, not an incitement of violence against our hexapodal friends, says the keen environmentalist.

Released: 18.05.22 www.chop5.bandcamp.com

Image by Ellen Walker

MAIUS MOLLIS - THE TIDE TURNED

Words: Tom Astley

Maius Mollis’s stunning new track The Tide Turned offers a contemporary folk sound of brilliant colours. The centrepiece is a vocal which demands multiple listens to uncover lyrics that are poetic and guarded, telling a story both familiar and unique. The accompanying track is a lesson in restraint. From the modest guitar that adds feeling without intruding, to cymbals that add tone without constraining the track into strict tempo. Having set such a foundation, the pay-off when the drums flicker fully into the mix, replete with grounding bass, feels immense. Even here in release, there is a sense of holding back information, a barely audible spoken word Dictaphone voice in the right ear murmuring something to someone. Quietly golden.

Released: 20.05.22 www.soundcloud.com/maiusmollis

MARIA & JAMES - LITTLE ISLAND DREAM

Words: Kate Murphy

Described by the duo’s lead vocalist and songwriter Maria Winter as a love song to Lindisfarne, this is exactly how Little Island Dream translates. Winter’s voice and intentions are pure, singing of the safety and magic of this small place and its mind-blowing sunsets. “It’s the simple things that mean the most” Maria sings, and the philosophy certainly works in the song, as the duo’s feelings for Lindisfarne wouldn’t have come across half as well in a big-production piece. There are no overdone echoes or lengthy instrumentals here: just a guitar and harmonies, and an honestly and effortlessly penned song, talking about a place that does most of the speaking for itself.

Released: 12.05.22 www.facebook.com/mariaandjames1

ARCADE SKIES - SUGAR SUGAR

Words: Tom Astley

Whitley Bay’s Arcade Skies’ new track Sugar Sugar has a dreamy, bleached-out summer sky feel to it. The track is fuelled by a melody on acoustic clarinet, drenched in reverb and delay, which swoons in and out of the consciousness of the mix, pushing its way to the fore past drum loops, 80s-inflected synth pads, a female vocal that equally washes itself watercolour with delay and a male vocal, subliminally low in the mix. There’s an obvious sonic reference to the Little Fluffy Clouds of The Orb in the let-it-wash-over-you ambient dance feel. A perfect track for driving past The Spanish City on one of the few blisteringly hot summer days Whitley Bay might have, eating melted Opal Fruits.

Released: 02.05.22 www.arcadeskies.bandcamp.com

THE INCOGNITOS - LET GO EP

Words: Jake Anderson

The Incognitos’ EP Let Go is stuffed with textured sonic environments and catchy guitar riffs, keeping the listener on their toes constantly with its ever-shifting genres. The track Don’t Let Go includes subtle additions in the mix, such as a flute, making for a jovial atmosphere. In contrast, the track Money features a harsher, more hard rock or post-punk inspired sound and a distortion which also features heavily on Top Banana, albeit with a more dance-inspired drum pattern and minimal vocals. Top Banana is the standout of the EP for me, as the lack of lyrics let the intricacies of the instrumental flourish. Despite it being a valiant effort, the EP’s collage-esque soundscape results in a mixed up release, which does little to reveal the band’s motives.

Released: 21.05.22 www.facebook.com/theincognitosband