Neu The Neu Bulletin (Bleech 9:3, mary in the junkyard, Swapmeet and more!)

On their latest track ​‘Underrated’, Dublin’s Bleech 9:3 more than live up to the hype. With vocalist Barry Quinlan’s Lane Stayley look and the band’s fresh punk sound, there are inevitable comparisons to be drawn with Fontaines DC, but where this wiry track differs from their aesthetic kindred spirits is with Quinlan’s vocal, which is cleaner and stylistically leans more towards traditional grunge rock. ​‘Baz’, alongside fellow songwriter Sam Duffy, here takes a turn towards dark vulnerability in both sound and spirit; with only four singles to date, Bleech 9:3 are standing out from the pack in a uniquely restless way. (Kai Marshall) 

No sonic experimentation, but an acoustic ballad with gripping storytelling, is what’s offered up by this new excerpt from mary in the junkyard​’s forthcoming debut album. The band gives free rein to vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Clari Freeman-Taylor on ​‘Candelabra’, a quiet song that encapsulates the self-doubt of a teenage girl: ​“Thought of you while staring at the candelabra / Almost felt your fingers in my hair / One of your eyes is green, but the other is darker / Let me hold you still so I can stare.” Written aged 17, here Freeman-Taylor unfolds her voice — over a delicate arpeggio — in a way that’s both pure and powerful. (Lorène Bienvenu)

This is a really loveable track – intricately crafted, with an abundance of great melodies shared across the guitars, piano and two vocalists. Whereas the band’s previous single ​‘I Know!’ had a feeling of hyperactive urgency, ​‘Sand’ finds Swapmeet in a more circling, plaintive mood; as they explain, it’s a song ​“about wasting your own time, then being so, so mad at yourself. And a little bit mad at the people who make apps and phones so addictive.” The rising quartet produced the song — and their whole forthcoming debut album — themselves, over two weeks at a beach house in Noarlunga, Australia. This period of playful, creative collaboration allowed them to build tracks like ​‘Sand’ with layer upon layer of catchy riffs and offbeat little details, from the plinky-plonk percussion and piano counter-melody through to the playful detonation sound effect (which, even more satisfyingly, follows the lyric ​“minefield explosion”). (David Addison)

Soft brushes of gentle sound caress the ears as minimal acoustic guitar notes herald the arrival of this sweet but attention-grabbing offering from Bonnie Kemplay. Mixing folk writing with forward-looking alternative instrumentation, she creates a captivating atmosphere that in turn provides a comfortable home for her direct, authentic lyricism and light-as-a-feather delivery. Kemplay’s hard to place: her sometimes unusual inflections add to the sense of suspended mystery which haunts ​‘Dandelions’ — a song which on its surface traces everyday normality (“Blowing dandelions into the wind”; ​“Walking circles in a supermarket”), but is transformed by this singer-songwriter’s understated skill. (Phil Taylor) 

The final single of their just-dropped debut album ​‘CLASSY HITS VOL.2’, ​‘WHAT IF PHONES BUT TOO MUCH’ sees WIDGET entice listeners with woozy electronic waves. Emulating sonic aesthetics of the ​’80s, the East London disco-punks offset spoken-word lyrics with steady percussion, introducing a structured yet chaotic chorus, as chants of ​“I don’t want it back” reflect their refusal to accept what is expected, what’s predictable. This hypnotic beat in turn invokes a state of revelation — painfully aware, a sense of righteous anger slowly creeps in, determined to push back against the repetition and wasted time of modern existence. (Esther Akinborewa)

An ode to hoarding (but in a good way), the latest single from rising Leeds-via-Liverpool folk artist Rhiannon Hope moves on from the earthbound richness of last autumn’s ​‘All Things, Rising and Returning’ EP and levitates higher into the serene and contemplative realms of spiritual jazz. Healing and deeply transportive, the seven minute epic transcends from a sparse, wurlitzer-driven ballad to a gorgeous, drum-brushing, saxophone-flowing crescendo, all powered by Rhiannon’s stark, quivering vocal that cuts like crystal. Released via grassroots label Private Regcords — also responsible for releases from Bathing Suits and Kiosk — it’s hard to argue against the passion and variety currently brewing in Leeds’ DIY circles. (Elvis Thirlwell)

Tags: Neu, Neu Bulletin, Bleech 9:3, Bonnie Kemplay, Listen, mary in the junkyard, Rhiannon Hope, Swapmeet, Watch, WIDGET