It's hard to listen to the lyrics of the songs on this EP and not get emotionally invested. The culmination of a project by Tony Whiting of the Golgis (with the help of Chris Godfrey, Wolfington Stanley and Shirley Roden) creating songs from lyrics written by his friend Sandy Peters who passed away from cancer in 2021, these songs are meaningful and poignant. Anyone who has experienced serious or long term illness (myself included) will find that this EP resonates on a deep level. I was planning to pick one song to discuss here but I just can't choose; each song holds something special that is worth listening to. You can tell that this has been a labour of love on the part of everyone involved, with gorgeous instrumentation and arrangement and the distinct voice of Whiting. What better way is there to honour the legacy of a friend than to create something beautiful for the whole world to hear? Sandy was also an excellent cartoonist and his art features on the cover of this EP.

  We've taken a trip back to the classifieds section of the local paper in the 90s with Eyal Pik's latest track, Apocalypse. Male, 30s, rock star icon, seeks blonde sweetheart for the apocalypse. What apocalypse? you might ask. Well, it doesn't take a lot of thought to realise the direction we as humans are headed - look at the corrupt leaders, the imminent future of AI and the fact that we seem to be hurtling chaotically towards some kind of end, either sub-consciously or more alarmingly, consciously. My brain goes in all sorts of directions as the song begins. Blur's 'Parklife', Blondie's 'One Way or Another' and a little bit of The Beatles' 'Taxman' all swirl into a merged bundle here. It's an instant classic; with all those elements of a great rock song that you'd hope for. Heavy guitar, shouty vocals, catchy hooks and an arrangement that keeps the song interesting throughout. I find Eyal Pik himself incredibly interesting; he

Perhaps I'm too biased to give an opinion piece on this beautiful Christmas song. Chris Simmons is someone who I have looked up to with admiration and fondness for many years. It all started with a first glimpse on stage at The Litten Tree busker's night back in around 2000, where I saw Simmons performing with his band Still Willow (they started out as Willow, had a change of line up and couldn't decide on a new name so Still Willow it was) and has continued in a variety of contexts, although more recently just snippets on social media as Simmons has been gracing far bigger stages than I could ever dream of. He has always had a captivating style of performance and when he was on stage would become something I wanted to be. Over the years Simmons has written and released music sporadically and I've enjoyed it all, but this new song hits a different note for me. While it fits well within the existing catalogue in terms of instrumentation, singer/songwriter ballad style, l

  Rebekah Holt is one of our open mic regular attendees and last year played this song around Remembrance Day, citing the story of her Grandad who went to war and came home a changed man. She never got to know the man he was previously and felt inspired to write this song in his memory: yes, we remember those who fell and continue to give their lives in service to this country, but need to also remember those who return with mental scarring that remains for their lifetime. We took to the studio to try and capture this sentiment in a recording. Holt approaches this subject so tenderly, telling the story of her Grandad's experience in a low, sombre register. Her gentle finger picking alludes to the fragile nature of the human mind. The song expands in sound during the middle 8 as the lyrics cry 'never again', and ends appropriately with a subtle final salute. On this Remembrance Sunday, let us take a moment to be still and honour the sacrifice of so many for the freedoms we h

  There's quality, and then there's QUALITY. I'd say Ksenia Lewis hits the mark for the latter with this new single, Panic in Paradise, exploring how the world feels like it's falling apart and the only things we have for respite are fleeting and habitual. With her influence lying mainly at the door of Greenday's American Idiot for this particular song, Lewis dips into 00's pop punk in a way that makes me want to dig out the black lipstick and hair dye and head to the mosh pit (realistically I'd have to wind my body back 20 years too but hey, we can dream!). To top it off, the song is expertly arranged and produced, with appropriately timed lulls and highs that catch the listener's attention. Very happy to have this one on our playlist. Look out for the bonus track 'Hush Puppy' too - a worthy addition with more of a Lady Gaga vibe. 

I don't really know where to start with this album. It's Christmas, for sure! When Ashley Slater was challenged to write a Christmas album, he sat down and wrote ten songs in ten days and here we have it, in all it's vaguely jazzy glory. I say vaguely - it's a bit genre-defying with some very clear country thrown in the mix! A smattering of brass, oodles of highly skilled instrumentation and plenty of good humour makes a recipe for an album you'll want on repeat throughout December. The songs take you on a journey, ebbing and flowing between the surreal and the sublime. Slater comes across as a joker, lyrically clever with romance and emotion in all the right places. Listening through, these songs evoke images of deep white snow, colourful garlands and big families. Home Alone, basically. This album is the alternative soundtrack to Home Alone.