motel void

CRAB – HAIR

Hair by Crab is a callback to bands like Sebadoh and Broken Social Scene – a direct, in-your-face indie rock track that captures the emotional turbulence of a relationship hitting a rough patch.

I have a real soft spot for energetic indie rock, and this one grabs you immediately. The melody, the driving drums, the raw emotion, and the power of its repetition all come together to create an incredibly exciting track. I can only imagine how much harder this hits live. The band sounds exceptionally tight and well-rehearsed, and that confidence comes through in every second of the song. The music video is a lot of fun too. Overall, this is simply a fantastic indie rock track!

SHARP PINS – SATURDAY SUN

A friend recently introduced me to Sharp Pins, describing them as being in a similar vein to one of our favourite bands, Guided by Voices. I can definitely hear that influence, but there’s also a healthy dose of ’60s guitar pop running through their music. Last year’s Balloon Balloon Balloon was an excellent record, and the new single Saturday Sun continues in the same spirit – although this time they stretch things out, with the song running nearly four minutes, longer than anything on that album.

Around the two-minute mark, the track takes a wonderful psychedelic turn, perfectly complemented by the shimmering lights in the accompanying video. Listening to it almost feels like stumbling upon a great band from 1972 – in the very best sense.

CHARLIE GEARON – NEED YOU MORE

Charlie Gearon is an independent artist based in Bristol, UK, creating lo-fi alternative rock with a melancholic, dreamlike atmosphere. As he puts it, all of the instruments were performed and recorded in his modest home studio.

His influences are easy to spot – Fog Lake, Hovvdy, and Sparklehorse – and since those are some of my own favourites as well, there was no way I could leave this track out. Need You More is filled with that beautifully hazy, wistful atmosphere that those artists do so well. It may not be trying to reinvent the genre or showcase groundbreaking songwriting, but that’s not really the point. Within its slow-burning simplicity, Gearon has crafted a deeply immersive and genuinely moving track.