unpeople – the garden
Alternative powerhouse unpeople have already proven themselves with their self-titled debut EP released earlier this year delivering five tracks of lush harmonies and thunderous riffs, now with their new single ‘the garden’ the four piece continue their lightning fast upward trajectory. Building the track around a straightforward, fuzzed out bassline, unpeople build up layers of four part vocal harmonies and off-kilter guitar riffs before exploding into an enormous, cathartic climax. Growing far beyond their association with dual guitarists Jake Crawford and Luke Caley’s previous project Press To MECO, unpeople continue to show again and again why they’re one of alt-rock’s most talked about new bands. – Tom Bruce
Mallavora – It’s Not Enough
The first track to be lifted from the upcoming EP Echoes – released November 20th via Marshall Records – ‘It’s Not Enough’ is a raw, personal and deeply cathartic battery of alt-metal from Mallavora. Delving into the endless and relentless battle that is surviving every day with both anxiety and a chronic illness, this track manifests as both a scream of release and a rallying cry for further understanding of the debilitating nature of chronic illnesses in the wider music industry. It’s impossible not to feel the frustration and anger in the bellows of vocalist of Jessica Douek and this scathing and authentic track further see’s Mallavora standing as drivers for much required change many falsely perceive as completely inclusive. – Dan Hillier
DITZ – Space / Smile
It’s been two years since cult favourite noise rockers DITZ released their acclaimed debut record, ‘The Great Regression’. Now, following extensive touring and a live album release, the band are gearing up for their sophomore effort, ‘Never Exhale’, due to release 24th of January next year. The debut single from that record not only picks up where ‘The Great Regression’ left off, but demonstrates just how DITZ have polished and expanded that sound. ‘Space / Smile’ takes that noise rock and post punk flair that the band originally presented with, and pushes it in a notably more punk rock direction. The riffs are scrappier, the thunderous bass is more groove-laden, and the vocals are sharper than ever before. It’s only a short cut, but the way in which DITZ build the track with layers of repetition towards a claustrophobic, crushing climax demands your attention. – Ryan Ward
Anxious – Counting Sheep
After establishing their position as one of the more promising hardcore-influenced emo acts available with their fantastic 2022 LP Little Green House, Connecticut’s Anxious are heralding their next arc with the massive ‘Counting Sheep’. Taken from their forthcoming record Bambi – released February 21st via Run For Cover – this is just one of those singles that is instantly lovable. Quite frankly, it’s impossible not to charmed nor swayed by it’s shimmering leads, warming harmonies or it’s massive, instantly gratifying chorus. It’s a raw maximalist power pop haymaker, one that will leave one reminiscing over memories of hearing acts such as Basement, Millilitre Gun, One Step Closer and even Title Fight for the very first time. Should one be a fan of the bands aforementioned and not be antiquated with Anxious, then now is the time to get familiar. – Dan Hillier
Haste the Day – Burn
Amongst the wealth of influential early noughties metalcore bands, one name seems to come up less than most. That band is Haste the Day, who, whether obvious or not, have always been a group from which many have drawn influence over the years. Fresh off a triumphant display at Furnace Fest, the band’s first new track in nine years, ‘Burn’ is a statement return to the band’s roots. Inspirational, Christianity-rooted lyrics mix with chugs and bounce to create a track that sounds like their noughties work given a fresh coat of paint. The soaring, impossible to resist chorus is the highlight of the track, which seems to be the first taste of the bands first full length since 2015’s ‘Dreamer’. They may not be the biggest of legacy bands, particularly in the UK but their impact on the genre cannot be denied and it will be interesting to see if the rest of their new material can match up to ‘Burn’. – Chris Earl
Hamburger – Rip
Taken from the band’s upcoming EP Beat Back The Ghouls – released November 29th via Specialist Subject Records – ‘Rip’ is a short, sweet and wonderfully autumnal indie-pop breeze from the Bristol sextet Hamburger. Resonating that kind of quaint and delicate sound that’s synonymous with acts such as Sparky Deathcap and Me-Rex, here, Hamburger prove that less than more. Yes, this track might clock in at less than 90 seconds, but ‘Rip’s is one of those perfectly composed and formed tracks that contain a whole season’s worth of angst and emotion in it’s runtime. Those familiar with this band will no doubt understand this sentiment, but with ‘Rip’ hinting towards a release that refines everything that made their 2020 release Teenage Terrified so brilliant, there’s no doubt that many will be finding warmth with Beat Back The Ghouls upon it’s release next month. – Dan Hillier
Vernon Jane – Get Bettr
Delicate, vulnerable yet defiant, ‘Get Bettr’ see’s the normally boisterous jazz punk project Vernon Jane focusing on the nature of wallowing. But that’s okay. Unflinchingly documenting the familiarity and strange cosiness of misery whilst acknowledging how battling grief feels like forgetting those departed, ‘Get Bettr’ is a deeply moving ode to the deeply personal experience that is losing someone. Yet, it’s one that acknowledges how embracing sadness can be healthy all whilst detailing how loving oneself is the best way to honour those who have moved on. It’s a track that see’s the Dublin project re-engineering their volatile sound in a way that’s gentle but still musically engaging. This may be not one would expect from a band known for fuzzed out noise, but with it’s frank intimacy, this is still the sound of Vernon Jane, a band critically undersung in the European contemporary scene. – Dan Hillier
Dream State – Bloom
Bursting onto the scene back in 2014, South Wales based quartet Dream State have been consistently making waves with their unique brand of post-hardcore laced alternative rock, landing slots at festivals such as Download and 2000 Trees as well as support slots with hard-hitters Trash Boat and Funeral For A Friend, on their latest single ‘Bloom’ Dream State show no signs of slowing down. Taking a more synth heavy approach than their mini-album Still Dreaming from earlier this year, ‘Bloom’ gives Dream State the opportunity to experiment with driving EDM inspired beats and glitchy synth stabs which slot in perfectly alongside frontwoman Jessie Powell’s ethereal cleans and forceful screams. With an upcoming European headline tour alongside the release of ‘Bloom’, 2024 continues to be an extremely important year for Dream State. – Tom Bruce
Tides From Nebula – Rhino
The latest track from arguably Poland’s finest post-rock export, ‘Rhino’ is a barreling stampede of everything that makes this band just so great. However, it’s also a track that see’s the band running alone, unhindered from tag-alongs. Taken from Tides From Nebula’s self-produced new record Instant Rewards – releasing November 8th via the their own imprint Nebula Records – ‘Rhino’ see’s the band return to their roots in amalgamating progressive sensibilities with celestial synths and agitated post rock in order to create soundscapes that’s as immersive as they are energetic. “This album is a vision that is closest to our true selves”, states Guitarist Maciej Karbowski recently on the new record and single “By working independently, we had full control over every aspect of creation, from composition to the final sound. It was a challenge, but also an incredibly satisfying process. ‘Instant Rewards’ is more than just another album for us – it’s our response to the changes that have occurred in the world and within ourselves.” – Dan Hillier
Exploring Birdsong – Weight in Gold
Liverpool based three-piece Exploring Birdsong succinctly describe their sound as ‘genre blending rock’. That creative vision is clear to hear on their sparkling, charming new single, ‘Weight in Gold’. With its driving guitar riffs, shimmering keys, and soaring vocal performance, there is a real retro flair to this danceable pop rock anthem. Understated yet sprawling verses sweep upwards into brilliantly catchy choruses that demand you get moving. The punchy breakdown in the back half of the track feels reminiscent of some of the best alternative rock of the early 2010’s, with snappy, syncopated rhythms and playful handclaps. Give it a listen, as long as you’re prepared to hit that repeat button a couple of times. – Ryan Ward
Poppy – the cost of giving up / crystallized
The enigmatic Poppy has been many things, from niche YouTube videos in her early career to a genre-spanning musician and singer. Her upcoming album, Negative Spaces, promises to be some of her most diverse work yet, with latest advance singles ‘the cost of giving up’ and ‘crystallized’ showing both the metalcore she’s delved into with previous singles in the former, and far more straightforward pop with the latter. While this album is a collaboration with esteemed producer Jordan Fish, and it’s noticeable in some of the hooks and songwriting choices, this is still unmistakably Poppy; there’s an irreverence and subversive undercurrent that ties all her work together, whether it’s the glittering ‘crystallized’ and its pulsating dance beat that on occasion echoes Canadian electropop sensation Lights or when ‘the cost of giving up’ hits its sky-scraping chorus. Negative Spaces, coupled with her recent forays back into TV with the surrealist series Improbably Poppy, shows that for all the sides she’s shown, we still don’t know Poppy, and that’s exactly how she wants it. – Will Marshall