If Scenius’ music is new to you then there’s one thing that you should know. They might use electronic instruments to make their music but that’s just the instruments they choose to use, they could have equally chosen to use your standard analogue instruments – guitars, drums, and so on. What I’m trying to say, in what I admit is an awkward way, is that their music is organic; it sounds played and not generated.

Now if you’ve skipped to hear a quick preview of the track, you may be asking yourself ‘but it has a rhythm track, how could that match up with what you’ve just said?’. That’s a good question, hold that thought and I’ll answer it in a bit.

Now Scenius mines the archive – so to speak – of electronic based music for their wide range of sounds. In ‘ Breezing Through It’ I’m hearing something of the soaring sounds period of Duran Duran, Thomas Dolby and Pop period Ultravox amongst others. This is big and wide music made with a skill you can’t deny.

I’m going to circle back to the question I imagined the reader asking earlier. Yes, there’s a rhythm track – a decidedly retro sounding one – but it could have easily been drums providing that rhythm. And yes, there are electronic instruments but it’s not inconceivable that those could be replaced with guitars and the like. This is a song not an exercise in technology.

But let’s get back to the track. Get those wonderful sweeping sounds, the absolutely crucial role played by the vocal sounds that meld into the track. It’s all wonderfully full of mood and atmosphere. And that’s before we get to the spellbinding lead vocal; at once both deadpan and full of smouldering emotion. You see that’s what the song is about; the music supports that emotion, it emphases it

I love what Scenius do, but this song has taken root amongst my favourites of the band’s releases. Scenius make music with soul and heart. ‘Breezing Through It’ is compelling. It’s powerful, emotional and atmospheric. It’s beautiful.

This is the second football related release from those groovy popsters Lucky Iris. And it’s an electro-pop Summer anthem -bubbly, hugely boppy and full of sounds that will leave a grin on your face.

The concept of a ‘football related’ song is something that needs explaining; over to vocalist Maeve “When I’m going through a rough time there are two things I consistently turn to: music, and football. Being a fan has always given me something to believe in when I need it. This track is our take on an anthem, an ode to the things we pour our heart into when we don’t feel like we can. For me, it’s football and pop music, so why not combine them both. There are so many parallels that can be drawn between football and music, but arguably the most obvious and important is the sense of community they both create. All you have to do is pick someone to support and in return get a sense of belonging’.

So it’s kinda about football AND music but more about being a supporter or fan of something or someone. It’s about what you get from being actively involved in being a supporter or fan So not necessarily solely about music and football. You get me? The words are open to interpretation, although there are some clear and obvious references in the words. The words, by the way, are great; Lucky Iris have a way with words.

But for me the joy of this track is how it sounds. Maeve weaves her somewhat breathy vocals – and those are fabulous – over and around a full on electro alt-pop sound that frankly has had everything including the kitchen sink, thrown at it. But the skill of the duo is how that’s done, there’s a lot going on but they don’t lose either the tune – and this has the most earwormy tune – or the insistent beat. THis is classy people.

This is Summer fun in a song. Go bop yourself silly and sweaty right now.

I know there’s some sort of unwritten convention that a review kinda works towards a reviewer’s overall opinion of the song but in this case I’m going to go straight there. This song is completely and utterly beautiful. I loved it after the first few seconds. It’s that good. That said, I guess you need more than this to persuade you to listen to it. Well here goes.

‘Two Years This May’ is a big ballad that somehow sounds intimate and like it’s being sung just for you. It has hints of a Country sound, as well as having something of a retro yet timeless feel. It’s sonically rich but at the same time makes the words and Molly’s vocal the focus of the track. And it’s the words and Molly’s voice that make this track.

Part of that intimate feel is that the song tells a personal story. “I’d not long come out of a relationship”, explains Rymer, “and I was sick of being sad about it. Matt (Dunwell the song’s co-writer) and I chatted a lot about how my whole experience of learning to drive had been coloured by that relationship, and decided to write about the mundane things that tie you to people and experiences. At its core, we wanted to turn that sad reminiscence on its head. ‘Two years this May’ is also when I passed my driving test, so this song – about driving home to someone you love and finding them in the little things along the way – it’s a celebration of that too”

The thing is that many songs come out of the writer’s personal experience but the craft of the songwriter is to turn that into words that tell that story in a way that makes you understand what’s behind that story – the feelings and emotions – as well as somehow allowing you to connect with the personal, to understand it in way that connects to your personal experiences. This song does that, boy does it do that.

Musically at the core of the song is the sound of an acoustic guitar. Around this there are carefully put together sounds that reinforce and reflect the emotional feel of the song. This includes some absolutely captivating backing vocals.

But at the centre of this song is Molly’s voice. It is, to be frank, achingly beautiful. She doesn’t just sing the words, she lives the words. I am not embarrassed to admit that her voice brings tears to my eyes.

‘Two Years This May’ is the perfect combination of words, music and voice. It’s emotionally rich and personal. It’s so beautiful it hurts.

The info

Molly will be performing a headline set at The Oporto in Leeds on Thursday the 27th June, supported by Dan Greaves and Case Open. You can buy tickets to the event here: https://www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Leeds/Oporto/Molly-Rymer/39049682/

I’ve got to put this out there; I’m not that keen on Emo or Pop-Punk. So why did I review this release from Sheffield’s Pale Sailor when right up in their email to us was the phrase ‘Emo/Pop-Punk’. Well, this may sound shallow, but there were two things that made me take a listen. The first was the song title and the second the band’s name (that does sound shallow – Ed). I fully admit that this is way shallow but when I was faced with a list of possible reviews that was somewhat long I had to have some way of getting a shortlist.

The thing is, I’m actually pleased that something about the release caught my eye because what I heard was something that was way more raucous than I expected. It leans way more punky than I expected and I love raucous and punky.

It has a singalong tune in that kinda pop-punk way but it’s full of out there guitar that’s raw but at the same time full of what I can only describe as pure fun. The band relish in the sound of guitars at the edge of ragged. Ragged but at the same time nuanced and intricate.

Other things to love; well there’s the drumming and the vocal. The drumming matches the guitar in rawness. And why I love the vocal I can’t really put a finger on, I just do. There’s an edge to it; a sound of unease that fits the song’s subject. The band say ‘it focuses on feeling unsettled and nostalgic in a new home, and a sense of longing for the past’.

The more I listen to this track the more I like it; it’s one of those songs. Like raucous and raw guitar music, this is one for you. Fab stuff.

Patience make good music, absolutely fabulously good music. It’s music that takes you off on unexpected sonic journeys and uses sounds that don’t exactly fit the norm. Now granted I’m saying this after only two releases but believe me I speak the truth.

‘Trust’ is, in a very broad sense, alt-rock but not for Patience is that usual quiet/loud thing. There are dynamics but this is down to twists and turns, the moves from slow to fact, from feel to feel. There are so many sounds at play here that the list would be way too long. Look, the first minute or so goes from electric gothic-folk to amped up math-rock that ends up reminding me a bit of 60s’ pop-prog, to soaring huge rock, yo what can only be described as pop. You get the picture. But this is not to mention the achingly beautiful slow passage. It’s like a symphony in 5 minutes,

The thing is that ‘Trust’ is telling a story in words and music. The changes in feel amplify the words; and these are very good and powerful words. It is, unless I’m very much mistaken (and this is entirely possible), a song about a relationship told from the point of view of the person whose trust is abused. There is sadness, there is anger, there is regret and there is righteous fight back. This is going to put you through the wringer emotionally.

I guess I should say here that this is a band who really know their stuff musically. The playing is frankly scarily good. As is the vocal. That’s way too throwaway. The vocals on this track are outstanding – powerful, emotional and totally compelling.

‘Trust’ is so good I have no words that are adequate to describe how good it is. Incredible is the closest I can get. You just have to hear this.

It has been some time since I reviewed a release from Django Jones and the Mystery Men. I completely adored their first two singles. They showed us a band who not only make bloody good music but – most importantly – that they’re not afraid to have fun.

‘Animals’ is, as you might expect if you’ve heard the first two singles, a loud and raucous thing that somehow manages to sit between the fast bursts of NWOBHM style metal, Punk and Psychobilly. It’s breakneck, has huge amounts of scintillating attacking guitar riffs and it’s all held together by drumming that somehow reminds me of Phil “Philthy Animal” Taylor in the classic Motorhead line-up. And for another Motorhead sound, check out the short sharp intro. But this is NOT ALL. Your classic Punk massed backing vocals add that certain something, the animal sounds (I’ll leave you to discover those) are the cherry on top.

It seems to be about a relationship, or some sort of relationship at least; I could be wrong. A certain type of music reviewer might draw some kind of comparison with The Stooges ‘I Wanna Be Your Dog’. I am not that type of music reviewer, make up your own mind.

‘Animals’ is everything that’s good – loud, raucous, raw and out of control. It’s music for getting into a sweaty mess and losing your shit big time. This is so fucking good.

The info

‘Animals’ is the first single from the band’s debut EP ‘Thank You For Having Us’ due for release on 25th October 2024.

FloodHounds are one of those bands who in the whole timeI’ve been following their releases who have never let me down. Every release – through their musical evolution – has been a bloody joy. Their music is so obviously well crafted but, and this is crucial, it comes with a raw power.

‘Near-Life Experience’ is heavy alt-rock; crunchy guitars, pounding drums and explosive riffs.. Many bands can do that, I know but the edge FloodHounds have is firstly their song-writing, and secondly their sheer musical ability. The drumming is relentlessly pounding but it’s musical; it’s not mindless thrash – it’s full of clever clever fills and subtle use of cymbals. And Jack’s guitar playing is outstanding; full of unexpected sounds, non-lead lead guitar (if you get what I mean) that shines. And he doesn’t do solos, I mean he could and it would be amazing but the power of the band’s music is in the sound of the whole band.

The subject of ‘Near-Life Experience’ is obvious really but for certainty, songwriter Jack Flynn explains, “Lyrically, the song delves into the struggle of feeling numb and disillusioned but reminding you to break free of that apathy, seize the day and hold on to the moments that make you feel alive. I’m sure everyone has felt those moments when the daily grind overwhelms you, and you feel like you’re not living your life to the fullest, hopefully some of that energy blasting through the speakers can reach out to drag you up out of the haze”.

Look, the power of this song is going to blow your mind. It’s heavy alt-rock but it comes with meaningful words that have their own power. So bloody good, it hurts.

The info

Known for their blasts of stomping fuzzed-up indie guitar, savage riffs and hook-heavy choruses; Yorkshire’s FloodHounds deliver tight rabble-rousing live shows; bursting with startlingly jagged guitar, driving bass and wild rhythmic drums. Lyrically catchy, the Indie rock trio’s powerful punk-infused and darkly melodic tunes, stay with you long after the gig.

Floodhounds have played live all over the country and put on their own headline shows, playing sets on the festival circuit at Isle Of Wight Festival, Brighton Great Escape, Liverpool Sound City, Live at Leeds and Tramlines fringe, as well as played sold out support slots with the likes of Kid Kapichi, The Blinders, PINS, Projector, King Nun, Strange Bones & Calva Louise. The band have also ventured abroad to play in Paris twice at the iconic Parisian venues Supersonic and Le Truskel.

The band are

Lauren Greaves – Drums
Jack Flynn – Vocals/Guitar
Anna Melidone – Bass

Leeds band Gravy do Indie. Now. as you may know. Indie is not one of my favourites when it comes to musical genres. For an Indie track to win me over it has to have something, ‘Wait Another Day’ has something.

Now, before I go on, the band’s name is crying out for some sort of gravy based witty comment, but I’m going to resist that. You want gravy based humour, come up with your own.

Now the song has all the stuff Indie needs; jangly chiming guitars, that certain vocal style – casual I guess, that sparseness that Indie songs have in bursts. The certain something is the band’s own take on Indie. It comes with a poppy catchiness, an irresistible beat that is hard not to throw some shapes to. But there is more; a bass line that throbs through the track, and some frankly wonderful guitar flourishes. And, to top this off, it comes with a bittersweet element, an edge to the sound.

What this adds up to is a track that while based on genre where many tread the same musical path, stands out because of those unexpected elements. A track that won me over in the first 30 seconds; much to my surprise to be honest.

‘Wait Another Day’ is one hell of a song. The band’s first release, it promises much goodness to come from them in the future. Fabulous stuff.