Ten Singles

Once more we present ten recently releases singles. Some by well-known names, others from artists you may never have heard of before. Again some very diverse artists as well. Obscure bands from Boston's garage rock scene but also from a Dutch artist who for a while could claim to have written the alternative Dutch national anthem with his single 'Home'. From riff rocking rock we also present a Dutch language song that only knows one way to get attracted to it: sit down, shut up and listen. So here you go and don't forget to click on the link below, so you can follow the comments song by song and create your own opinion on the singles.

Back To The Beach. Gallows Birds

Beach? Beach? What does the new single of Gallows Birds make me think of? Of course early, as in very early The Beach Boys singles like 'Surfin' USA'. Add a light touch of The Ramones and you'll get the drift. Back To The Beach is a two minutes and three seconds, old-fashioned rock and roll song about getting back to the beach and never go back home again. About juveniles who do not have to think about anything else in the world, except for going to the beach and not a worry in the world as long as that sun keeps shining and the girls are there in their bikini's. No, Gallows Birds may not be as good as The Beach Boys were in 1962, the band has captured the mood for 100% and that makes it great fun to listen to.

She's A Killer. The Idolizers

She's A Killer basically is as nostalgic as Back To The Beach is but the nostalgia moves to bands like Aerosmith or Alice Cooper. The guitars roar, the drummer is pounding. This is all 'School's Out' or 'Elected' alright. She's A Killer in a way idolizes the idols of the band. The song is a homage to things that were once. Of things were the original is not always around any more. The drums set off the song with a pounding pattern that propels the song forward. The guitars kick in and help make the song come alive. Something they do not have a hard time doing. The singer's voice to be truthful has seen better days. Having written all this, my guess is that The Idolizers' members all have day jobs and a love for 70s rock. She's A Killer is a nice example of where love of music can bring musicians with a little tenacity and a loving label like Rum Bar Records behind it.

There Will Be A Way. Dotan

A few years ago Dotan was unavoidable in my country. His song 'Home' became the alternative national anthem. Since he has fallen from grace and 'Rollercoaster' has replaced 'Home' as second national anthem. I was never a fan, of either song. But now, like 'The Weight' of Danny Vera, Dotan releases a song that I like. There Will Be A Way has some elements of Duncan Lawrence's music, but is more solid. There's a real rhythm section here that makes the song come alive and that helps a lot. Next to that it is about the melody of course. I find the chorus is nice to sing along to and what more does a person need every once in a while.

The Crack. Goat Girl

"A crack appeared", is the first sentence of Goat Girl's new single. It instantly reminds me of the Saramago novel where the Iberian peninsula cracks away from France to start drifting away onto the Atlantic Ocean. The song is a little less inventive or magic-realistic if you like.The surrealistic video does match though, It is a decent song, slightly alternative with pop elements underneath. The intro is the hardest part, to fall away for the first verse. The singing is dreamy and in contrast with the intro guitar part that returns all through the song. There's noticeable percussion and some violins and keyboard parts that add to the mystery The Crack holds within it. So it may not be an extremely exciting song, enough is going on to keep the mind busy.

Shortcummings. Sleaford Mods

Can a song be more minimal. Yes, sure, but Shortcummings does try. A minimal percussion, electronic and a bass that plays the same riff over and over. Over it a lyric is talked-sung. Nothing is going well, that much is certain. Short comings is translated into Shortcummings. There not much left to say about the title, as the person in question came down hard before the release of the single. The U.K.'s Steve Bannon has left the building. For the rest it's hard to make something of the song. It was fun to listen to once, but this is not for me. It's best feature is the title and that deserves a mention.

Torch. Troller

Troller, namewise sounds like a Norwegian band, but is from Austin in Texas. The band is around since 2010 and about to release a new album in 2021. Torch, no not a Soft Cell cover, is released to kill the time. The song from 2016 has been given a video to accompany the release. The music is certainly mysterious. A mix of electronic pop and goth. Add some guitars in your mind and I can imagine Sharon den Adel sing it. Here the synths and electronic bass and drums carry the flame. The song goes for largesse as especially the voice seems to become bigger and wider the whole time. The mix has been done in such a way that I get that impression. The song starts like a wind swept arctic landscape. I can almost feel the cold, purely by listening. The Ice Queen starts singing by way of long held notes. Torch is the kind of song to drink a Jägermeiser to. "Only when it's ice and ice cold".

Snow Day. Shame

I was complaining a bit, wasn't I, about 'Water In The Well'. It just did not cut it in my Shame book. So how does Snow Day fare? The song starts out fairly normal, but within a few verses I notice that things are alright in the Shame universe. Snow Day has that confidence, that edge to it that derails the song without wrecking the train. Something Shame is extremely good at. I've listened a lot to 'Songs Of Praise' and still do regularly. The band has laid its own standard high, that's for sure. Snow Day contains that anarchic streak in singing and playing. And I love the end. Everything goes overboard, no more inhibitions, just creating noise and fun. Arctic Monkeys have laid that part to rest, welcome Shame.

Chapter Two. Fridolijn

Fridolijn releases her second maxi single. The first song, the magical 'If Your Heart Were A City', has already been reviewed. Listening to it once again, again I'm struck by the Enya influence mixed with that piano part that almost seems detached from the rest of the song. As if it leaked through from the next door studio. So let's move on to the two new songs.

'Once More' is faster, but also emptier. An electronic beat is melody and percussion in one. This makes 'Once More' a more solid song, were it not that the singing is just totally dreamy. Until the second verse. Slowly I feel Fridolijn hooking here fingers into me, drawing me closer. The volume slowly goes up. Mysterious, ghostlike sounds fly around my head. This song is very well built up. More and more elements are added moving from empty to filled. Until the abrupt ending.

The third song is 'Forever Maybe'. If you like this song, then check out the few songs Belgian singer Lizzy has released in collaboration with producer Joes Brands. 'Forever Maybe' is a very empty dance track. One that allows one to dance with oneself, all alone with the music. A major hit in a silent disco, that's what I imagine the song to be. The beat is there, the dreamy singing, the harmonies. Slowly but surely the song is brought to a climax. Dig into it, you will not be disappointed. All in all three very different songs, with an overarching quality: the dreamy singing of Fridolijn. Again a beautiful maxi single.

Straks. Jack Poels

Weer een single van Jack Poels. Zingend in zijn Limburgs accent, zacht en ingetogen. Straks is een enorm klein gehouden nummer, waarin de sfeer alles doet wat het moet doen. Als er iets als een Limburgs chanson bestaat, dan is Straks er een. Er is een fraaie melodie, een verhaaltje over een lange wandeling en verwondering, een paar gitaren en een solo. Dat is alles wat Straks nodig heeft om me in een zeer contemplatieve gemoedstoestand te brengen. Een tikje melancholisch, misschien zelfs licht verdrietig. (Ik merk zelfs dat ik stop met schrijven en zit na te denken over iets geheel anders, waar ik niet voor moet weglopen. Dank, Jack, nu terug naar de muziek.) Dit is gewoon een heel mooi, klein liedje, een om van te genieten als hij voorbij komt.

The Devil's Game. Marc Platt

A Rum Bar Records record with a kind of King Crimson album cover, with Mark Platt stuck onto it? Yes, that's the album that will be released in the near future. The Devil's Game is the first single released. It is a mix of music that is not your everyday rock. The guitar and vocal melody are classic late 70s rock, the percussion is like an early 80s Soft Cell track like 'Tainted Love'. Thin, electronic and out-dated by 35 years or something. In fact that lead guitar intro could be Jorma Kaukonen's on 'After Bathing At Baxter's'. So push that late 70s about 10 years back. This is a muddy song, a lot of instruments are fighting for attention. It's even hard to determine what is going on really. This adds somewhat to the attraction of The Devil's Game. The song rocks but in a totally different way. The output of Rum Bar Records gets more diversified with the release is my impression.

Wo.

Listen to our Spotify Playlist to find out what we are writing about:

https://open.spotify.com/user/glazu53/playlist/6R9FgPd2btrMuMaIrYeCh6?si=KI6LzLaAS5K-wsez5oSO2g