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Another week, another hot batch of singles fresh out of the oven. A mixture of established names and some artists starting on their journey, all worthy of your attention, regardless of placement in the pecking order. Click on the artist’s name in bold, and follow the link to the respective YouTube video.
A few moments into ‘Hot Summer Night’, the new single from Jacksonville, Florida road dogs Big Engine, and you’ll be double-checking that particular fact is correct. The song might have been born in the USA, but it was certainly conceived in Britain. Conscious or not, the influence of Mott The Hoople here is huge. You could also cite acts like The Faces, and in turn, The Quireboys, as most good-time rock n’ roll bands have drunk at the same well as Ian Hunter at one point in their life. Sure, there are copious amounts of slide guitar to keep the blues-enthused punters happy, but it’s the honky-tonk keys that stoke the fire. Vocalist Tony Mikus has that just-gargled-with-mouthwash-laced-with-glass voice that guys like Spike seem to have been born with, or gained after smoking 20 Regal Kingsize per day since childhood, and damn, it sure hits the spot. Simple, well-played, rock n’ roll that reels the listener in from the first strike of those keys. Further exploration is mandatory, as it turns out Big Engine have been on the go for some time now.
Having been locked away in the studio for some time, working on album number two, Wakefield dynamo Loz Campbell has released her first new music in some time, and the first taster of said album. Packing more of an alt-rock punch than a classic, trad-rock feel, Campbell has at times been the proverbial square peg in a round hole; on this occasion, the round hole being the NWOCR scene, which can often be a tad on the meat-and-two-veg side. Heavier, grungier, certainly grittier, Campbell is happier dealing with the darker aspects of life than with going down to the river to wash her sins away or other overused clichés. New single ‘Monster’ (her first new music in two years?) is the byproduct of a few more years down the road and a few more years of life experience, resulting in her strongest offering to date. Huge Skunk Anansie and Garbage influences, with a smattering of Hole on the side, it’s a head-swimming, hooky few minutes that focuses more on Campbell’s growth as a vocalist, rather than her prowess as a guitarist, even though the single starts with one of the most infectious guitar intros that you are as likely to hear this year. The vocal hooks during the chorus are pure chef’s kiss and linger on for days on end. An excellent return.
Having the Mutt Lange name attached to the new single from Alice Cooper/The Hollywood Vampires lead guitarist Tommy Henriksen’s project known as Crossbone Skully gives the game away. The sugar (sorry, not sorry) on the cake is that Def Leppard guitarist/vocalist Phil Collen is also on hand to ramp up the Leppard-isms. With Henriksen’s raspy vocals bearing all the hallmarks of a primetime Bon Scott, new single ‘Thunder Love’ might just be what happened if Lange got bored and dicked around with the tapes to DC’s ‘Highway to Hell’ and Leppard’s ‘Pyromania’ or ‘Hysteria’ – albums he of course produced. Even the snottiest of cynics would be forced to admit that this is a total banger. Even if you don’t regard yourself as a Leppard fan, you do like fun, yeah? And that is what ‘Thunder Love’ is: fun. Oh, it also features new Alice Cooper guitarist Anna Cara trading guitar licks with Collen. Magic.
Oooofft. The new one from Jack J Hutchinson certainly has a bite to it. Co-written and produced by the in-demand Josiah J Manning (Kris Barras Band), ‘Rise Again’ is the second taster of the new album ‘Soul Believer’, due for release early 2027, and it kicks like a mule. Fantastic riff-fuelled opening few moments, where the likeable Man U fan Hutchinson sets his stall out early doors with some riffs that are instantly catchy. The press release quotes Jack J as telling Manning “…that I wanted to write a track that sounded like a mix between Blackberry Smoke and Led Zep, with a melodic chorus like Neil Young’s anthemic rockers.” And that is a great starting point – especially the Blackberry Smoke mention, as there is a Charlie Starr-like feel to some of Hutchinson’s playing. Billy Gibbons influence here and there. To these ears, at least, though, there is also an Oasis vibe in places. Especially to the vocals. Ultra-fresh, and one of those tracks that would sound great on drivetime national radio, if the programmers grew a spine.
Why UK outfit Morganway aren’t more of a household name is one of life’s little mysteries; that and how come The 1975 can fill arenas. A band with chameleon-like qualities, the five-piece self-describe as “Folk-Rock-Soul-Americana genre whores” meaning that they can fit in at traditional rock festivals such as Maid of Stone Festival, just as well as they do at folk and Americana festivals. Lead singer and lyricist SJ Mortimer has been drip-feeding solo material to the MW fanbase, and new single ‘Don’t Underestimate Me’ is the latest. Rock-oriented, with an almost instant slap across the chops, this is a case of don’t bore us, well, you know the rest. Very groovy opening, sun-soaked to the core, a great song to floor it to. The star of the show is, of course, Mortimer’s powerful vocals. Thanks to the lashings of grit to be found in her vocals, Mortimer is often compared to Janis Joplin, and, yeah, that’s understandable. She also has that same sense of duality of strength and fragility that Alanis Morissette has in abundance. Crank this sucker up and dance like nobody is watching.
The departure of vocalist Alessia Scolletti in 2023 (along with drummer Alfonso Mocerino) could have potentially slowed the momentum that Italian power metallers Temperance had gradually built up over the years, but it paved the way for American vocalist Kristin Starkey (Jeez, referring to her simply as a “vocalist” is selling her talents short) to join the band. Since the arrival of the Twilight Force vocalist, Temperance have ramped up the quality and produced some of their best material. New single ‘Death: Right Before We Die’ is lifted from the forthcoming album ‘Arcani’, and highlights the dynamics to be found between Starkey and fellow vocalists Michele Guaitoli and founding member Marco Pastorino. There is clear chemistry between the three, especially contralto Starkey and Guaitoli, who handle the majority of the vocals. Lighter than normal Temperance fare, there is a great vibe to ‘Death: Right Before We Die’ even though it deals with a brush with death. Mid-tempo and hugely melodic, lose some of the riffs and drums, and you have a huge 80s pop hit. But why would you want to lose the riffs and drums? Insanely catchy, and you might just find yourself humming those melodies for days on end. ‘Arcani’ is shaping up to be something special.
Photo credits:
Loz Campbell – The Art of Samara
Jack J Hutchinson – Rob Blackham
SJ Mortimer – Michelle Fredericks
Temperance – Alex Verona
