As of late on my radio show I’ve been trying to give more exposure to bands and artists who have a little bit of Britpop in their sound, and I typically end up finding them through TikTok (at least when the algorithm doesn’t shit the bed and try to force feed me influencers with skin so orange it makes Trump’s spraytan look subtle). And I know that you yourself may groan and wonder why I’m bothering with that godforsaken app but when it wants to it has given me some great recommendations – Burgeoning acts like the Kowloons, the Cases, Keyside, Pastel, and the Molotovs to name a few. As the weeks have been going by I’ve been saving more and more of these folks waiting to break out, noting them down in case I want to give them the time of day on the air.
This month, I want to start running through that list.
The 286
So here we have a band whose members have two things in common with each other. The first being that they all took the same bus route for rehearsals hence the name the 286. The second is their music tastes, aiming for a mix of the Beatles and Beethoven. At first glance, sounds a bit pompous. But you get into it and there’s definitely some heart here.
However, given the kind of sound they’re chasing, the 286 right now have that problem that most underground bands have – Little exposure = Little studios. They have songs that need room to breathe and sound as grandiose as they deserve to be, like their signature song “Month of Sundays”. A bittersweet tale of a murderer who flirted with God, a song deserving of an end-of-the-line, “Motion Picture Soundtrack” kind of sound. Alas, the production right now is a bit claustrophobic and flat. There is potential, but it’s definitely yet to be realised. Keep an eye on ‘em though.
Headwired
When you find a band who claim to be spearheading a Britpop revival movement, they make their influences all too clear. You have ones who unapologetically and insipidly rip off Oasis. You have those who channel the Merseybeat sound of Cast and the Realies (which I much prefer). Then you get bands like Headwired who take notes from the lesser-known or appreciated acts – In their case, it’s the Seahorses. Nowt wrong with that.
So we have a much meatier, bassier take on modern-day Britpop and by gum we have promise here. Their first and latest singles, “Carosuel” and “Head in the Clouds” respectively, show how well they have started, and how much better they are getting with each new release. Hoping to see them here in the North East sooner rather than later.
Bleech 9:3
Cycle through the indie posts on your socials for long enough and you’ll end up getting a few people all saying ‘Here are some bands you need to check out!’ or ‘These guys will explode in 2026!’. Bleech 9:3 are always on these posts, I don’t think I’ve seen a single one where they aren’t included in the list. High hopes then.
Here’s a few songs I tried:
“Ceiling” – Decent guitarwork, liked how far the vocals were pushed in the end. Inelegant, simple.
“Cannonball” – Very black and white.
“Underrated” – Heavy. Fuzzy. Maybe a little OTT production-wise but I like it.
Their self-titled EP is on the way. Might just be one to watch as the socials suggest, if you like your grunge.
That’s just a few of the new, more to come next month. Now, the other stuff.
The Walkmen, Bows + Arrows
I may have boarded this particular train the same way most other people did. Heard “The Rat”. I mean, if there was ever a song that gets so much so right…The tempo on the drumming makes Phil Selway on “Jigsaw Falling Into Place” sound lethargic, the way the guitar sounds like it’s taking off as the synth creeps into the background to knit everything together. Yeah, it was that and that alone that made me think it would be worth checking out this LP.
The risk when you dive into an album this way is you can’t help but worry that it’ll end up being a one-song record. You get bought in on the strength of that one track and then everything else pales in comparison. Forgive me if this is sacrilege, but that’s what happened with me. Maybe it’s because I was a bit distracted while I had it on but it did become background noise for a while. The slower songs in particular blend together, apart from the keyboards in “Hang On Siobhan” they all sound weaved from the same cloth. There are definitely ones dotted throughout to compliment “The Rat”, like “Little House of Savages” and “The North Pole”, the latter setting you up for some dreamier elements in the second half of the album. Bit odd for a post punk album but I like dream sound so why complain? Speaking of, “Thinking Of A Dream I Had” is my pick for second-best track. Those slashy guitars. Mm-mm.
It’s an absolutely competent album, I just think it’s one I listened to at the wrong time. I’ll give it another shot down the line.
Raye, THIS MUSIC MAY CONTAIN HOPE.
I don’t know what came over me. The only song of Raye’s I know is “WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!” and it depends on the day as to whether I like it or not – It’s good until you hear it too often, one of those ear worms. Yet it was enough for me to turn around and think ‘Ok, maybe I should give the full album a whirl’.
Before I jumped in though, a few titles shot out at me: “Intro: Girl Under The Grey Cloud.”, “I Know You’re Hurting.”, “I Hate The Way I Look Today.”, “Happier Days Ahead.”, and of course the title of the album itself. Something told me it wasn’t going to be the most cheery of albums. Call it instinct.
Anyway, we’ve got a musical on our hands. I remember saying that Lily Allen’s album from last year could easily be translated to the theatre and Raye’s effort here seems absolutely designed with the same idea in mind. If not that, then a Golden Age-era Hollywood flick. The bombast is at times OTT but absolutely well-earned and damn if it isn’t pleasant on the ears. Makes the hour-plus runtime and the digging through the bloat more tolerable (17 tracks? Bit much).
Highlights include the twanging bass on “Beware…The South London Lover Boy.”; the concept of the album moving through the four seasons which can be absolutely felt in the chilly “Winter Woman.” and the lonely night vibes of “Click Clack Symphony”; how unafraid Raye is to lay her burdens bare in “I Hate The Way I Look Today.” and “Goodbye Henry.” along with juxtaposing that dourness with such pep and jauntiness (You can see that painted on grin and gritted teeth that Raye is singing through on the former)
Lowlights include “The WhatsApp Shakespeare” which spends two and a half minutes sounding like everything else on the radio until a whiplash-inducing turn to early 20th century swing. “Life Boat.” is too soppy for my tastes and I fear it may be destined for those ‘inspiring quotes by d-list podcasters and life coaches’ videos. The chipmunk effect that rears its ugly head on “Winter Woman.” was unnecessary. And apparently David Attenborough was meant to lend his voice to “Beware…” but that didn’t end up happening?! Write off, album’s ruined, no Attenborough, day’s ruined.
But no, I’m glad I got over my adversity for modern day stuff to give this a swatch. Go, Raye.
David Bowie, Young Americans
Low is my favourite Bowie LP. Station to Station comes directly before and is my second-favourite. So could Young Americans follow the pattern and end up being my third-favourite? Doubt it, given it has a reputation as a middle-of-the-road effort compared to what came before and after.
So why turn to it, considering it’s that ‘plastic soul’ one where the Thin White Duke does black music? Intrigue, and I think Raye’s sound put me in the mood for swingier stuff. Sometimes you want to move away from the three-chorded guitar records and try something more extravagant.
The title track sees David come out swinging and full of energy with passionate as all hell vocals before slowing things right down with “Win”, which ends up being an early impresser with its dynamic sound – Those flutterings of sax in the right ear is a yes from me. “Right”’s mantra struck a better chord with me than “Life Boat.” did. “Across the Universe” though…yeesh. It meanders and Bowie’s vocals are ill-fitting to say the least. Thankfully, closer “Fame” is a good rebound and it’s unquestionably the high point of Young Americans, plenty of bark and bite and a delicious slice of funk to boot.
I’m no expert on jazz and funk and soul and blues and what have you, I haven’t listened to the classics by folks like Smokey Robinson, Nina Simone and Marvin Gaye to name a few. I can’t weigh Young Americans up against them and determine whether or not Bowie’s new direction was simply a hollow gimmick. But I can say it’s a bopper of a record and one I rather enjoyed. It rewards the intrigue a listener may have to try it out and there’s just enough to make you come back for seconds. Third-favourite though? Not quite.
Amy Winehouse, Back to Black
Me before listening to Back to Black:
Let’s keep this soul/jazz/R&B thing going, I’ve been meaning to listen to this for a while.
–
Me after listening to Back to Black:
Jesus. I know Amy’s tale was a tragic and tumultuous one to say the least but…whew. This is one raw record. I don’t have anything to say about the individual songs, it just needs to be heard. That’s all.
Björk, Medúlla
Thanks to Björk, I can now tick a cappella off the list of genres I’ve yet to tap into. But also thanks to her, I’m not sure I ever want to engage with it again. Anything else would just be boring, I’d wager.
I know the words ‘freaky’ and ‘whimsy’ are applicable to the best part of her discography, at least all that I’ve listened to up to this point. Medúlla, however, takes the cake. For the first time in my life I’ve found myself wondering if listening to an album with headphones on was a good idea. Those breathy, almost orgasmic sounds that almost feel like they’re blowing into your eardrums made me want to stop before we’d even started, but the ethereal overtones and Björk herself kept my feet to the fire. After a little while, I was able to get used to the album’s sound and settled in for the rest.
It’s actually kind of fascinating hearing the sounds of people be warped into instruments, such as what I can only assume is tongue slurping in the closing moments of “Who Is It”, and the choral ‘woahs’ on “Oceania” (best song of the record by the way – It sounds lush and I love the idea of a song being sung from the ocean’s point of view). And then there’s the beatboxing on “Triumph of a Heart”. That is certainly one of the closers of all time. Being built almost solely on the voice, Medúlla sees Björk dead-centre on the stage, all eyes on her. At times you get a track that’s just her and her alone, maybe with another her chanting in the background like on “Öll Birtan”. You have to be one confident performer to carry a song on your lonesome but at this point for her it’s second nature.
Of the four albums of hers I’ve listened to so far, Medúlla is easily my least favourite. But that isn’t to say it’s crap, quite the contrary. It may actually be the right Björk album for the moment, dispensing of electronics and instead replacing them with good ol’ fashioned human sounds. Can we call it post-folk? It’s just a bit of an awkward left turn, even for Björk. As I say, it’s a fascinating idea well realised and one that would definitely benefit from a repeat listen, maybe on a hilltop or a windy moor. It’s just that there’s a lot that came before that I would rather listen to.
Manic Street Preachers, Know Your Enemy (2022 Reissue)
Wasn’t keen on the original version of this album, and when I capped off my thoughts on it I pledged to at some point check out this reissue but admitted I wasn’t optimistic about it.
Know Your Enemy was an album compromised by tunnel vision as, according to James Dean Bradfield in an article (https://www.vice.com/en/article/rank-your-records-manic-street-preachers/), they were being ‘too spontaneous and too organic…we backed [producer Dave Eringa] into a corner and said “No we want to keep things fresh and do it quickly”’. That much was clear by how coarse the mixing was.
So why am I giving it another chance? Well I ended up playing “Ocean Spray” on the radio and it put me in the mood to give Know Your Enemy a second roll of the dice with the reissue/remix/redo they released in 2022. Before I pressed play, the good news facing me was that the tracks would have received the care and attention they needed in the studio, and are split into two albums instead of one as originally intended, meaning they will better compliment each other. The bad news is that there’s a chunk of extra material on here, new tracks and b-sides and such, and it’s a lottery as to whether they will be better than what was on the original album or not. Let’s find out.
Part One: Door to the River
We start with the slower, more contemplative batch of songs from this period and it is such a rewarding listen when you know what you’re in for, and that you’re not going to suddenly be pulled into another direction. With a bit of TLC applied to the mixing and the spiky bits shaved off, these tracks are given freedom of movement and you get to ride the gentle waves of beauty and despair. “Ocean Spray” is no longer pounded into submission by the electric guitars, “So Why So Sad” becomes a twisted Magical Mystery Tour-style cut, and I forgot how good “Let Robeson Sing” and “Epicentre” were. And the new additions? The titular “Door to the River” is most definitely a highlight but I can understand why it was left off the original, it sounds a bit too close to “Ocean Spray”. “Rosebud” though, why the hell did they never even release it and just let it collect dust? Talk about a lost classic.
I know the Manics were obsessed with reawakening the monster inside them, but Door to the River proves that there was no real need. Like they would a decade later on Rewind the Film, they sound bloody brilliant when they just stop, take it easy, maybe have a tinker with the acoustic. I genuinely think that if this had been an official album, it would’ve been considered one of their very best.
Part Two: Solidarity
I went into the second half with more trepidation than the first, as if I was expecting a sheer drop in quality. Maybe I had a slight fear that the softer mixes would be a case of course-overcorrection and kill the intensity that held some of the songs up in the first place. Maybe it was the presence of tracks I wrote off last time as plodders and duds such as “Dead Martyrs” and “Wattsville Blues”. Maybe I was just being pessimistic.
We get a very indie-sounding start with “Intravenous Agnostic” which sets up two things going forward: a faster pace, and a good haul of drum fills from Sean – Say what you want about KYR-era Manics, but you can’t deny that man was working overtime during this period.
These are the kinds of songs that were let down by sounding rough for the sake of roughness so to hear them refined while still maintaining the punky edge is very welcome indeed. That being said, and I feel like a proper hypocrite for saying this, I think I prefer the original mix of “Found That Soul”, that was one that did benefit from the run-and-gun mixing. It still sounds fine, just that I believe I know it can sound better.
There’s some good to be found here. “We Are All Bourgeois Now” feels like a quick trip back to the late 70s…even thought it’s a song that was released in 1988. “The Convalescent” tries to pull the same trick but warbly synths plant it firmly in the 21st century. “The Masses Against the Classes” sounds as awesome as ever but I’m not sure why the Albert Camus quote was removed from the end. And I can’t believe I’m going to say this but ”Dead Martyrs” actually did it for me this time. It’s album filler, sure, but it’s decent album filler.
But as I feared, there are some duds, and they dominate the last third of the disc. I couldn’t take “My Guernica” seriously due to how one-note it was, and that was before James made crow noises. Newly unearthed track “Studies in Paralysis” is fine but nothing groundbreaking, especially compared to what was on disc one. “Wattsville Blues” still sucks. When you’re trying to stand shoulder to shoulder with punk rock and the opening beat is two steps away from “The Real Slim Shady”, you are not going to get me onside.
I think I’ve worked it out now. Door to the River would’ve been a worthy sequel to This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours, a quieter approach powered by more personal and heartfelt songwriting. But that’s not what the Manics wanted to be, they wanted to find their demons again and recapture the ideals they felt they’d betrayed after Richey disappeared. Hence, Solidarity, which does boast some good music but not enough to justify an album given that it falls off a cliff after “Masses…”. But I think the solution would’ve been this: Do what Radiohead did with Kid A into Amnesiac. Save the leftovers, spend some time writing some more good-quality tunes, have a properly ferocious album as intended and designed for the following year.
A little bit of patience could’ve gone a long way, as this reissue has proved.
A-Side Glance 