Every week, our inbox is flooded with new singles from across the alternative scene, and while we’d love to highlight them all, there’s simply too much great music to keep up with. That’s where Already Heard Recommends: Songs of the Week comes in. We sift through the latest releases to bring you a handpicked selection of the standout tracks you need to hear.
Whether it’s rock, punk, emo, hardcore, metal, or something in between, we cut through the noise and bring you the songs that deserve your attention.
Split Chain – bored. tired. torn.
Split Chain‘s emergence over the past 18 months has been close to extraordinary. It’s about to go into overdrive with the release of their debut album, ‘motionblur’, this July. Backed by Epitaph Records, the Bristol quintet have teased the record with ‘bored. tired. torn.’
The track firmly demonstrates Split Chain‘s “nu-gaze” sound, sonically stirring guitars clashing with melancholy vocals. Obviously, ‘bored. tired. torn.’ weaves in shoegaze and nu-metal elements and combines them with grungy alt-rock. Much like ‘motionblur’ as a whole, the track takes from personal experiences, yet also hones in on the theme of resilience.
“‘bored.tired.torn’ explores the difficulty and pain of growing up in a broken childhood home. Thematically the song centers on whether or not someone should have to deal with the shit they’re dealt by relatives just because they’re family,” shares Split Chain vocalist Bert Martinez-Cowles. “The song is a declaration against that, and tries to positively convey the message that nobody has to put up with it just because they share blood with the people hurting them. Don’t feel bound to it just because society would expect you to, always make the best decision for yourself regardless of what anybody else makes of it. You’ll be grateful you did.”
Bert goes on to describe the upcoming full-length as “a coming of age story”. It promises to explore conflicting and contradicting emotions among its dizzying delivery of grunge, metal, shoegaze, and emo. Ultimately, it gives the Bristol upstarts to share their experiences and how it has defined who they are. “This is the story of what we’ve been through, and this is the story of who we are today,” the frontman states.
‘motionblur’ by Split Chain is released on July 11th on Epitaph Records.
Soot Sprite – Days After Days
Having impressed us last month with ‘All My Friends Are Depressed’, Exeter trio Soot Sprite continue to preview their new album ‘Wield Your Hope Like A Weapon’. Its latest single, ‘Days After Days’ radiates with warmth as Elise Cook optimistically celebrates life’s little victories during moments of despair. Tapping into the often autobiographical nature of ‘WYHLAW’, it sees Cook, along with Sean Mariner (bass/backing vocals) and Sam Cother (drums/backing vocals), lean into an alt/indie/rock approach.
‘Days After Days’ drifting guitars and steady tempo draws from 90s alt-rock, drawing listeners in as Cook, Mariner, and Cother find the good in an increasingly bleak world. “It’s about facing the endless horrors of the world and remembering to pay attention to the good,” explains Soot Sprite‘s founder and lyricist, Elise Cook. “People on the ground, activism, and remembering that we shouldn’t be hardened by everything we witness or we can lose empathy. And it feels like without empathy we’ll never be able to achieve class consciousness, and lose our sense of community.”
‘Wield Your Hope Like A Weapon’ by Soot Sprite is released on May 16th on Specialist Subject.
Iron Form – New History
Last week, UK newcomers Iron Form dropped their debut EP, ‘Cut From Cold Blood’. ‘New History’ serves as its opening track. It allows Alex Heffernan and Mario Gambardella to set their stall out with a battering slice of nostalgic metalcore/post-hardcore. With its unrelenting pace, Gambardella’s raw screams, and overall intensity, ‘New History’ is steely and riveting blast.
Much like ‘Cut From Cold Blood’ as a whole, the opener proves to be immersive with a subtle technical nuance that is a credit to the pair’s longstanding experience in the UK’s metalcore/hardcore scene.
‘Cut From Cold Blood’ by Iron Form is out now on Church Road Records (listen on Bandcamp).
Indifferent Engine – Crescents
Church Road Records is truly becoming a label you can’t ignore. Not only have they just released the aforementioned EP from Iron Form, in May, they’re dropping the debut album from Indifferent Engine. A month from joining the label and announcing the record, the Cambridge group have released a new track titled ‘Crescents’.
It sees the quintet in a frenzied mood with a distorted bass groove segueing into stirring guitars. Adam Paul’s vocals maintain a thriving energy as his bandmates bounce between post-hardcore and contemporary prog effortlessly. Underpinned by melodic chaos, Indifferent Engine continue to be an exciting prospect.
‘Speculative Fiction’ by Indifferent Engine is released May 30th on Church Road Records.
Poppy Wizard – Eraser
I remember covering Poppy Wizard last year during our brief ‘Song of the Day’ period. Since then German group has firmly established a shoegaze emo sound, often compared to Narrow Head. Their latest track is titled ‘Eraser’ and once again leans into that stylistic foundation, complementing it with a spherical wall of guitars, driving drums and emotionally charged vocals.
Lukas Andrzejewski’s swirling guitars stretch out before Philipp Baum (drums) and Robin Kwasniewski (bass) provide a rumbling drive. When you add guitarist Hendrik Dyga’s hazy and emotive vocals to the mix, it makes ‘Eraser’ sound equally large and murky. Lyrically, it’s sparse yet still effective, as Hendrik paints a distressing picture of regret with a willingness to forget who you are.
“‘Eraser’ is a slightly cynical to spiteful self-observation,” explains Poppy Wizard‘s vocalist and guitarist. “It’s about repressing traumatic events – and what happens when you erase yourself piece by piece until nothing of your own personality remains.”
Between Hearts and Me – Tears
We’re always willing to give a platform to new bands on Already Heard, and Between Hearts and Me fits that description perfectly. Featuring members of melodic hardcore mob High Rise and emo-rockers Bellevue Days, BHAM mark their arrival with ‘Tears’.
The quartet produce a powerful slice of emotive rock that pulls from real-life experiences. ‘Tears’ sees vocalist Jovic Staddon dwell on the end of a long-term relationship. While he doesn’t want to let her go, he comes to the realisation that it’s for the best. Alongside guitarist Ricky Gurung, bassist Michelle Hazel, and drummer/producer Jack Pavitt, Staddon provides a heartfelt, melodically strong debut.
‘Tears’ is the first in a series of singles that will see the four-piece continue tackling introspective themes of heartbreak and mental health.
Lauren Babic – Sanctuary
Lauren Babic continues to be a star on the rise. Thanks to a plethora of covers (such as her ‘Pink Pony Club’ metal cover), she has plenty of viral momentum behind her. However, there’s more to Babic than covers. In addition to fronting three bands (Red Handed Denial, CrazyEightyEight, and Skylimit), the ever-productive Nashville-based Canadian released her first solo EP this past Friday.
‘Sanctuary’ is the opening track on ‘Too Much and Never Enough’ and sees Babic stamp her mark in the alt-metal scene. It allows her to showcase her versatile voice, pairing dense riffs with a pop-like song structure. Delicate melodies and soaring choruses wrap around guitarists Adam Bentley and Columbus Conley III’s riveting charge. Meanwhile, Justin Marshall’s drum work and the subtle use of electronics make ‘Sanctuary’ sound bold and impactful. When put alongside other EP cuts such as ‘Breathe You In’ and ‘I’m Bored’ (with Babic’s piercing screams), it’s clear Babic has the tools to go far.
‘Too Much and Never Enough’ by Lauren Babic is out now.
RinRin – Corndog!
Bursting out of Australia via the Philippines comes guitarist and singer-songwriter Qarin Hipe, better known as RinRin. Since beginning the project five years ago, her infectious mix of pop, metal, and pop-punk has seen her share stages with Windwaker, Redhook, The Plot In You, Caskets, and The Home Team. She’s now embarking on a new chapter with a new label Year Of The Rat Records (Save Us, Lastelle, Black Orchid Empire). The announcement sees her launch a new track – ‘Corndog!’
It’s a light-hearted ode to her cravings for the snack itself while recording in Melbourne. While it doesn’t hold much significance in the broader lore RinRin has built so far, ‘Corndog!’ is an energetic blast with shades of Poppy and BabyMetal. Its bouncy, carefree tone has an infectious quality, marking RinRin as an artist on the rise.
PLAIINS – Happy Faces
Hamburg-based quartet PLAIINS specialise in big riffs, aggression, and infectious hooks. It’s exactly what they pull off on their new single – ‘Happy Faces’. Serving as a raucous indie punk number, it’s delivered with an off-kilter twist. Chris Reardon and Florian Kaninck’s guitars are scrappy as Timon Lanzinger’s bass lines bubble underneath. Drummer David Suhlrie grabs hold of ‘Happy Faces’ drive with penetrative percussion.
Amongst the chaos conjured up is a melodic charm as Reardon considers the notion of putting on a front and if it truly makes you happy, eventually leading a mental breaking point. “It’s about the duality of the protagonists’ views of the importance of putting on a happy face to promote a joyful view on the world and being courageous, throwing yourself into the unknown and the compromising hypocrisy of going too far,” comments PLAIINS‘ Chris Reardon. “Do you become a happier, freer person, or is it a mere mask obscuring a person’s view on reality? As the song starts, it all seems to point toward the first, but as the song progresses, the protagonist takes things further and further. Buying a whole bar a round of drinks on his credit card without any thought. As he burns out into an insanity, screaming “Happy dumbass faces”.”
Furthermore, ‘Happy Faces’ is the first taster of a yet-to-be-announced debut album, due later this year.
Hear all of this week’s choices and more through our ‘Newish Music’ playlist. Consisting of the latest rock, punk, hardcore, metal, emo, and everything in between, it’s your go-to playlist for new music.
The ‘Newish Music’ playlist is also available on Apple Music.
Have a song to consider for a future edition of ‘Already Heard Recommends? Tell us about it here.
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