Neu The Neu Bulletin (Dermot Henry, holybones, MLEKO and more!)

In the age of AI, it’s probably no coincidence that a whole new wave of young artists whose sound feels anything but artificial is gaining momentum. What Dermot Henry shares with acts like Dove Ellis and Jacob Alon goes beyond a minimalistic yet deeply emotional approach to indie-folk; it is instead, perhaps, one of the few things that no algorithm will ever be able to manufacture: raw talent. If you’ve got it, you simply don’t need more than an acoustic guitar, a beautiful voice, and the earnest lyrics of ​‘My Favourite Book Is One I’ve Read A Bunch’ to stand out. (Gabriele Naddeo)

Over a feverish electronic beat, people are whispering. Then a familiar voice enters, deep and hypnotic. ​“Everything you’ve done, I’ve done already”, sings the original English dandy, before delivering some choice lyrical advice: ​“Always be outrageous in front of the camera”; ​“Grab your opportunity by the scruff of the neck and let it squeal.” Returning with none other than Baxter Dury in tow, on ​‘SLUGBOY’, anonymous London-based collective holybones offer deliciously textured electronics that conjure an immersive, enigmatic atmosphere, pulling you under so as to prolong the fever dream. (Lorène Bienvenu)

With the haunting ​‘Denouement’, Manchester-based outfit MLEKO offer an intriguing insight into the world of their forthcoming debut EP; here, entrancing trumpet weaves seamlessly between guitar and rhythmic drums, their arrangements fusing with evocative lyricism to create a frisson of discomfort. In the track’s climactic finale, the group’s experimental, genre-hopping inclinations collide with raw emotional intensity, resulting in an arresting cut that lands somewhere between betrayal and revelation, anger and awe. (Esther Akinborewa) 

The ever-fertile Manchester scene has born another band bound for success in pyncher, whose newest track ​‘One Day’ fizzes with impatient and urgent energy. A tale of two people growing apart — and the acceptance that’s necessary for them to get by in the aftermath — it’s yet another astute demonstration of the Heist or Hit-signed quartet’s undeniable dynamism. (Kai Marshall) 

Ireland has long been a place with noise woven through the fabric of its indie scene. From My Bloody Valentine to Gilla Band, the country’s harsher sonic provenance is resolute. And, if ​‘Memento’ is anything to go by, Dublin trio Bucket are very much the next in this lineage. Thundering and bleak, this EP preview is a cold and skittering revenge story built off teeth-grinding bass distortion and relentless power that peppers noise-rock forms with militant grindcore breakdowns. With their sheer heft, Bucket are establishing themselves as one of the most pummelling and compositionally progressive noise-rock acts of now. (A. L. Noonan)

Tags: Neu, Neu Bulletin, Bucket, Dermot Henry, holybones, Listen, MLEKO, Pyncher, Watch