Essential new singles also including The Golden Dregs, Roscoe Roscoe and Thaïs Ray.
1000 Rabbits – ‘Stupid Boy’
On their new single, 1000 Rabbits establish an immediate tension with the spaciousness in which the opening operates. Exposed vocals burst out in isolated lines against a monstrous synth while drums click forward. A surge of anxious lyrics is matched by the introduction of a groaning guitar, which then spirals into an almost Beefhartian lick. But even here, the rest of the band remain eerily restrained, a tense counterpoint to an increasingly desperate vocal delivery. Finally the group give in to the chaos, with cello squeals, gasps of staccato guitar and the haze of crashing cymbals the perfect accompaniment to the paranoic breakdown played out in the lyrics. On 1000 Rabbits’ first release since debut collection ‘Are we friends yet?’, what stands out most is this carefully arranged interplay, which maximises the expressive potential of the song’s core. (Lloyd Bolton)
Another Country $$$$ – ‘WANT’
On their first non-remix single since the release of seismic EP ‘Cursed Frame’ back in January, Another Country $$$$ bottle up the euphoria and momentum of their live shows and let rip into your speakerphones. The enigmatic Manchester audio-visual duo have been going from strength to strength over the past year, from a blistering performance at Green Man Festival to their recent signing to cutting edge boutique Bristol label Black Acre (alongside OGs Spinny Nights). New track ‘WANT’ confirms our suspicions that they didn’t come here to play (unless you mean play sick fucking tunes of course, in which case they definitely did). Combining dubstep-adjacent beats with a melodic, almost hyperpop synth maximalism, the sense of triumph and emotional release that ‘WANT’ channels would be as well placed skanking in the dry-iced haze of the club as it would saving a litter of kittens from a burning building. ‘WANT’ is the lead single from their upcoming EP ‘IMAGE OF A FIRE’, due for release next February, which we are very much looking forward to hearing. (Hazel Blacher)
The Golden Dregs – ‘Real thing’
The Golden Dregs announce new album ‘UK Gothic’ with moody single ‘Real thing’. Compared to the band’s 2025 album ‘Godspeed’, this track feels shorn of the smooth edges, perhaps in pursuit of the new album’s titular aesthetic. Rattling drums set the mood and compete with Benjamin Woods’ baritone lyrics, adding to the oblique menace as they obscure fragments of what we hear. The cinematic noir tone is completed by hushed backing vocals, frantic keys and an epic ascending chord progression which carries us into the chorus. This return is something different to what we’ve heard from the band before but, impressively, remains unmistakably The Golden Dregs. (Lloyd Bolton)
Roscoe Roscoe – ‘Bossa 916’
East London shoegaze and post-rock outfit Roscoe Roscoe return with their latest single ‘Bossa 916’, ahead of debut album ‘One Day I’ll Return to You With Loving Arms’, set for release in January 2027. Named after an Air B-side, ‘Bossa 916’ finds the band embracing a fully instrumental arrangement situated in the transitional seasons and evoking a wistful atmosphere. The track opens with an enchanting symphonic blend of electric and acoustic textures, then yields to Joe Bourdier’s soft, airy hi-hats. Swelling with tidal emotions, the band conjure a moment of pure, undisturbed bliss, drifting through vacant fields and wispy clouds. As the song fades into the horizon, our intrepid voyagers reappear, lost among the oceans. For vocalist/guitarist Charlie Read Clarke, the band’s approach towards writing “has always been about arrangement, feeling and atmosphere”; a quality nowhere more tangible than on ‘Bossa 916’. (Grace Palmer)
Thaïs Ray – ‘apple tree’
‘apple tree’ unfolds through soft guitar lines sinking into layers of fuzzy electronics, warped textures and lingering echoes. Paris-born, London-based singer-songwriter and producer Thaïs Ray’s airy vocals float above the mix, slipping in and out of focus as the instrumentation swells and recedes, giving the song a weightless quality without losing its underlying pulse. There is a tactile softness to the production, where alternative indie meets the more elusive edges of dream pop. That delicate balance between the organic and electronic gives ‘apple tree’ its ethereal quality, with layers of sound drifting into one another. Beneath its softness, the song touches on the fear of letting go of something sweet and facing the uncertainty of what comes next. There is a lingering ache in that space between holding on and moving forward. (Isabel Kilevold)
