Another Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame has come and gone, and still no induction for Ricky Warwick. Still, we hope he'll find some consolation in his triumph in the latest round of our Tracks Of The Week contest, in which he hooked up with Lita Ford (also no RARHOF recognition) to such great effect that their song, Don't Leave Me in the Dark, triumphed with aplomb.
So congratulations to them. And to Sonny Jim and Radioactive, for finishing second and third.
Here are our latest candidates. Aren't they lovely?
Devin Townsend - Gratitude
One of the most stirring moments on his rocked-up new album PowerNerd, Gratitude embodies that swooping depth of feeling and nuance that, at his best, Devin does better than almost anyone in heavy music. “I wrote this song during a very difficult time, yet the idea of gratitude is not meant to be ironic in any way,” he says. “I’m grateful for the lessons, I’m grateful for the swings and roundabouts of life, I’m here for it.”
The Struts - Can’t Stop Talking
The Struts had a lot of fun making Can’t Stop Talking, and you can tell. Luke Spiller, here at his most Jagger-esque, sings and regales like he’s still mid-flow at one of the many parties that apparently informed this toe-tapping, arse-shaking new ‘choon. Think old-school bluesy rock’n’roll sass, slicked up with pulsating 2024 pop beats and production finishes, like a new-gen Rolling Stones on a particularly fruitful caffeine kick.
Fantastic Negrito - I Hope Somebody’s Loving You
From raconteur-come-chatterbox energy, we now move onto something slow and soulful – in a gorgeously 60s, Stax-ified sort of way – in the hands of Fantastic Negrito, as he releases his brilliant new record Son Of A Broken Man. Talking with compassion to the father who abandoned him, and tapping into the complex emotions that come with parenting, being parented and relationships in general, it’s a gentle, introspective moment in an album full of funky floor-fillers.
Lions In The Street - Lady Blue
The bluesy Canadian rock’n’rollers unleash their inner Neil Young on Lady Blue, with sun-dappled harmonies that had us thinking a little of their nostalgic countrymen The Sheepdogs. “It’s a classic northern take on southern rock, a la Neil Young or the Band,” says singer/guitarist Chris Kinnon. “It’s a song about regret, with organ swirls, languid vintage guitar tones, and a James Burton-inspired guitar solo setting the tone.”
Dead Posey - Darkside
The LA duo strike a darkly atmospheric note on Darkside, all gothic post-punk vibes, industrial-edged guitars and synths. Driven by sumptuous vocals from Danyell Souza, the overall feel lands somewhere between Dorothy and latter-day Siouxsie & The Banshees. “We’ve always felt a bit outside the conventional,” guitarist Tony Nova says, “this song came from the place of feeling like outsiders but making up our own world as we go, and finding strength in our own existence.”
Benjamin Booker - LWA In The Trailer Park
We first came across the husky-voiced Benjamin Booker back in 2014, when he released his self-titled debut – a garage-y, blues punky affair, beneath which lay lyrics about gay marriage, post-9/11 life, erotic asphyxiation and more. A couple more albums, a near-death experience (he was almost killed in a shooting in New Orleans) and support slots with Neil Young and Jack White followed. Then came silence, for seven years. Now he’s back in a grittier, more experimental place, mixing fuzzy guitars with lo-fi hip hop and dreampop haze.
Powder Chutes - Straights
New Zealand's terrifyingly youthful Powder Chutes are back with a third song from their upcoming debut album, and it's frantic. With a riff straight from the Ron Asheton school of Detroit Rock Action, but with a glossy grunge overcoat, Straights races along like a runaway mine cart, careering and careening and threatening to lurch off the rails, then pauses for breath – a moment marked by the audience briefly retiring to the bar to down shots in the equally frenetic one-shot live video – before jerking wildly back into gear. According to the band, the song is "both a full-on party song, and an insightful social commentary on binge drinking, depending on your mood." So there you go.
Leadfeather - Roll The Dice
We don't know anything about Leadfeather apart from 1) They're from London, and 2) They played their first-ever show less than two weeks ago. And yet here they are, an excellent, bluesy ballast in our latest Tracks Of The Week contest. Debut single Roll The Dice is rock with its feet planted firmly in the 1970s, operating comfortably in Led Zeppelin/Whitesnake territory, with the kind of lyrics ("I've got a woman and paid my dues / But still you know baby I've got the blues") that suggest the band are unaware of intervening decades altogether. Another one for the Watch This Space file, perhaps.
