Last week was a good week for debut singles by new bands from already established musicians, as California Irish (led by The Answer frontman Cormac Neeson) triumphed with their first single, Big Question, while Hollow Souls (led by Kris Barras, from the Kris Barras band) came third with their first release, Big Question. Dividing the newbies were Tracks Of The Week regulars When Rivers Meet, and we'd like to congratulate all of them.
This week, just like every other, we've found another eight songs to excite all the different parts of your auditory system. They're below.
Those Damn Crows - The Night Train
A beautifully brooding slice of melodious, grunge-infused action from the Bridgenders’ upcoming album, God Shaped Hole, The Night Train is accompanied by a stunning animated video, in which the protagonist soars through a compelling dreamscape – expect flying trains, bucolic scenes, black holes... All of it drawn from a dream that frontman Shane Greenhall had about his late father. “It really felt like I had travelled somewhere else,” he says, “to a different time/place rather than a dream. It inspired me to write The Night Train – the transport that takes you to loved ones who are no longer with us.”
Brothers Osborne - Finish This Drink
Need a cheery distraction from the angst-inducing headlines of late? Listen to this. Initially dreamt up by singer TJ in a Waffle House a few years ago – not long after “a couple of drinks” (read: all the drinks) one night with The Cadillac Three’s Jaren Johnston – Finish This Drink finds the Osbornes on boot-stomping, country-fried form, without losing their rocker-friendly edge. It’s their first new music since the Break Mine EP in March 2024, and hopefully a sign of more to come.
Deraps - Setting Sun
Deraps' drummer Josh Gallagher goes all Axl Rose on this expansive power ballad, which finds him at the mic and the skins. Not that it’s all full-fat 80s rock right away. In fact it’s all very pretty and acoustic, like Toto at their gauziest, for the first minute and a half – after which the bright, chunky riffs and heartfelt refrains start to seep in. Then, mid-way, it kicks up a notch with gravelly screams and some slick, classy soloing from guitarist/singer Jacob Deraps. Their second album, Viva Rock’n’Roll, comes out in May.
Jim Jones All Stars - Goin’ Higher
And now for something decidedly rawer and more 60s-rooted, thanks to mercurial rock’n’roll beatnik Jim Jones and his All Stars. Less MTV muscle, more loose-limbed hip-shaking, honkytonk-thumping rock’n’roll, like The Stooges having a lock-in down the pub with Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard. Fancy some of that to liven up your Monday? Of course you do.
Ally Venable feat. Shemekia Copeland - Unbreakable
Twenty-something Texan guitarist/singer Ally Venable teams up with fellow blueser (and powerhouse voice) Shemekia Copeland on this moody but forward-kicking shot of heartfelt blues rock – capped off with a classy, wah-tastic solo from Ally. “This is a powerful duet, and defiant anthem that celebrates the indomitable spirit of women who have weathered life's storms,” says Ally. “The song paints a vivid portrait of two souls who have both gone through adversity, yet their voices blend in a harmonious tribute to resilience and triumph.”
Kadavar - Regeneration
Stoney Berlin rockers Kadavar are back with a new album (I Just Want To Be A Sound, due out in May) and a new vibe, leaning harder into their psychedelic side, of which the trippy yet toe-tapping Regeneration is the latest taster. If Tame Impala listened to more Black Sabbath, they might have ended up with something like this. Like the sound of that? Along with the album itself there’s also a UK record release show on May 13, at London’s Rough Trade East.
H.e.a.t - Running To You
Billed in fittingly gung-ho fashion as “a euphoric ode to relentless passion”, Running To You is H.e.a.t at their most H.e.a.t-esque – all galloping 80s hard rock bravado complete with flame jets, big-ass chorus, monster guitar crunch, just the right amount of twiddly soloing and more wide-eyed synth energy than is probably legal. We live in a strange world, but H.e.a.t are here to make it feel like a simpler time. More where this came from on their new album, Welcome To The Future (I mean… yeah they play a little fast and loose with the term ‘future’, on such firmly retro fare as this, but no matter).
John Drake - Ocean
John Drake, the former Aussie frontman of London-based quartet The Dust Coda, left after a decade last year and has just put out his first song under his own name. The slickly-produced and introspective Ocean comes from the same melodic ballpark as Alice Cooper's Only Women Bleed, and is plucked from his debut solo album, Separation Songs, which will arrive later in the year. "Leaving The Dust Coda was scary and took a giant leap of faith, but I knew there was a whole world out there creatively for me," says John. "I just had to get to the other side, onto dry land."
