Bambara – ‘Pray to Me’


Bambara have shared ‘Pray to Me’ ahead of the release of their new album ‘Birthmarks’, out on 12 March 2025 via Wharf Cat and Bella Union. With eerie and gothic tendencies taking over, complete with Reid Bateh’s deliberately slow and unsettling vocals about ‘singing country karaoke’, there’s a real intrigue to this song from its…

Mould – ‘Chunks’


Bristol trio Mould have shared new single ‘Chunks’ ahead of the release of their second EP in spring 2025. With a twiddly, mathy Kinsella-inspired intro, the song moves into post-punk territory as the band sing ‘Watch it live, watch the reruns, we’ll watch anything’ in unison. Falling somewhere between Thank, The Bronx and Yard Act,…

Tugboat Captain – ‘Christmas Commercial Song’


Spectral Nights favourites Tugboat Captain celebrate the (not so?) most wonderful time of the year with ‘Commercial Christmas Song’, a strings-laden song about seasonal despair and heartbreak: ‘I wish I felt better, in my winter sweater. I’ve worn it so long, why do I feel so wrong hearing Christmas commercial songs?’. The genteel piano notes…

Cloth – ‘Polaroid’


Glasgow-based twin sibling duo Cloth return with ‘Polaroid’. The band’s first new music since 2023’s ‘Secret Measure’ album, it’s produced by Ali Chant (Perfume Genius, PJ Harvey) and features a string arrangement by Owen Pallett. The song itself has touching lyrics that deal with the ‘gradual loss of a friendship which used to burn very…

Brutalligators – ‘Get Better’


Hitchin’s queercore punks Brutalligators return with ‘Get Better’, an ode to coming out and finding your chosen family – the ones who love you for who you are – that will feature on the four-piece’s upcoming second album. Self-recorded and produced by drummer Rhys Kirkman, ‘Get Better’ is already a live favourite and you can…

Doves – ‘Renegade’


Doves have made a welcome return with ‘Renegade’, the first single to be taken from upcoming sixth album ‘Constellations for the Lonely’ (out, appropriately enough, on Valentine’s Day, 2025). Described by drummer Andy Williams as ‘’Blade Runner’ set in our home city’ (Manchester), there is a cinematic and – at times – dystopian quality to…

Sassyhiya – ‘Take You Somewhere’ album review


With influences ranging from the Breeders and Broadcast to Dolly Parton and ‘Kristen Stewart’ already on its way to becoming a queer anthem, Sassyhiya’s debut record ‘Take You Somewhere’ promises to be a glorious celebration of modern life. The wonky, woozy pop melodies of opener ‘Boat Called Predator’ bring back memories of indie legends Bearsuit,…