These Fresh Faves were picked by our readers over the weekend – and reviewed by Fresh On The Net’s NEIL MARCH this week. You can hear all these tracks in a single Soundcloud playlist here.

Welcome back from the summer hiatus everyone and what a way to return with day one of our festival Fresh on the Net Live ‘24 at the Lower Third in London’s West End. We had 10 genuinely stellar live sets by recent fresh faves and you will be able to read our review of the day very soon. Day Two is due to take place in November in Leicester so look out for details. In the meantime, the weekend saw you, our amazing readers, vote for another ten top tracks to be the first fresh faves of the Autumn (although technically it is still summer for another fortnight!). So, as it is my privilege to review them this week, let’s get started.

AIRFLO – With Me All The Time

Recently added to BBC Radio Wales’s Welsh A-List and about to embark upon their first headline short tour, Airflo hail from Newport and Bristol, either side of the River Severn in a manner of speaking. Featured by Steve Lamacq on BBC 6 Music, playlisted on Radio X with this track and generally picking up positive airplay and reviews, there seems to be a real momentum behind Airflo right now.

With Me All The Time demonstrates why that is the case. Straight in with fast punchy drums and busy bass supporting snappy guitar chords and shoegazey riffs, the male vocals are yearning and bolstered by harmonies. Imagine Fontaines DC in a jam with Been Stellar while Ride add chops. There is an epic quality to their bold Alt Pop vision, driven by reverberant guitars and big tunes that are matched by equally big production. This is a track that grabs you by the scruff of the neck and carries you off into its sparkling stratosphere of optimism and boundless energy. Uplifting and mesmerising.

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BRYONY DUNN & THE FOREST – Dandelions On The Central Reservation

Recently named as Caffe Nero Music’s Artists Of The Month, Bryony Dunn & The Forest have played the hallowed BBC Introducing Live Lounge and have been getting out and about with gigs all around the South East of England. They have had support from Melitta Dennett at BBC Introducing in Sussex and Surrey, herself a tireless flag bearer for independent music, and their reputation is growing as an exciting emerging act.

Dandelions On The Central Reservation is a song whose slightly dark and intense atmosphere immediately draws me in. Bryony’s voice is distinctive and full of character, driving events forward with an initially sparse backdrop. As the song develops, layers are added. She switches smartly between major and minor, uses drops to great effect and has a kicking band whose chemistry and contrasting timbres lift the track. Style-wise it has an underlying Folkiness even though the sound is much more that of a guitar-driven Alt Pop band. There are some great moments in the middle of the track where the Bass Guitar comes to the fore along with strummed spread chords and Bryony’s repeating line of ‘Hot, it’s hot, it’s getting hotter’ building dynamically into a full-on finale. Possible echoes of KT Tunstall in a mash with Mitski while Jem adds spices but that is not to suggest Bryony sounds particularly like any of those artists. All in all, this is a masterclass in how to take a very good song and, through imaginative arranging and production, transform it into a seriously excellent track.

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CAT ROSE AND JON FAZAL – Into The Blue

Singer-songwriter duo Cat Rose and Jon Fazal are based in Plymouth in the South West of England but with links to Massachusetts if I have understood their bio information correctly. Recently featured by BBC Introducing, the summer has seen them play Green Gathering, Rock Oyster Festival and Garrison Gallery and various other venues; all part of an 8-date mini-tour that kicked off in June. Before that they played Green Man Festival and their social media pages underline the prolific and impressive nature of their live schedule.

Now they have made it into the fresh faves with Into The Blue. After some bell-like sounds, a slowish triplet time figure in descending-ascending airpeggios brings echoes of The Beatles’ She’s Leaving Home (albeit sped up) and a hint of Beth Gibbons. Cat’s vocals open proceedings before Jon joins in and the two harmonise. Some high register piano adds a melodic theme and soft strings add to the guitar. The track builds as more sounds come on board and the dynamics shift upwards. They manage to do a lot with a very organic instrumental backdrop and their voices intertwine with, at times, haunting effect. All in all, a cleverly nuanced and engaging track.

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CRYER MYA – Leylines

Guitar-toting singer-songwriter Cryer Mya is based in London and writes songs in his bedroom in true indie fashion. I am not entirely sure what he was doing prior to launching a solo career but he played his first gig as Cryer Mya in June and has already made Spotify’s Fresh Finds playlist. Currently getting amongst it with live dates, he also promises more new music soon.

In the meantime we have Leylines. It leaps out of the speakers [or headphones] with the airy breeziness of the reverberant guitar chords and his expressive upper register tenor voice. The echoing synth figure reinforces the melodic strength of the song while the contrasting picked figure using 7ths and the vocal harmonies in 4ths add to the aura of inventive Alt Pop on offer here. Slight shades of Willie J Healey in a mash with a young Roddy Frame while Paul McCartney throws ingredients into the pot. Cryer Mya demonstrates his considerable songwriting skills. The purity of his tone and agility of his vocals add to a highly agreeable experience.

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FAST TRAINS – The Minstrels Gallery

Returning fresh faves Fast Trains are the brainchild of Tom Wells who played a memorable solo gig at one of my live events just after the UK was emerging from lockdown. Linked closely to Dom Elton’s excellent Mayfield label and studio in Portsmouth, they have had support from BBC Introducing in Solent and Express FM and performed at the recent Victorious Festival. They have also been played on BBC 6 Music and Amazing Radio.

The Minstrels Gallery has all the Fast Trains trademarks. Catchy neo-psychedelic guitar riff, multi-tracked vocal harmonies and instantly infectious melody. The song builds through clever dynamic shifts, crashing chords here and there and imaginatively nuanced writing. Tom’s vocals are crystal clear and have an appealing earnestness. There is some lovely Phil Manzanera-ish lead guitar adding another aspect in the closing stages. All the while the track is driven by energetic performance and pristine production.

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GURRY WURRY – Hairline

Edinburgh’s Dave King aka Gurry Wurry has recently landed an album review in The Skinny and was interviewed on The Strange Brew podcast. This particular track shot to over 1K streams almost as soon as it hit Spotify and he has a list of positive quotes from other media. underlining the momentum that seems to be building behind him. Exciting times ahead.

Hairline gives us a strong taste of why things are going so well. The crunching, crackling quality of the guitar chords and Dave’s instantly identifiable voice get straight to it and the slow, measured tempo and spacing of the instruments add to the atmosphere. There is a current of psych about his style although, at the same time, there is an innate poppiness to his writing. Imagine the spiritual lovechild of Kevin Ayers and Edwyn Colllins jamming with Gruff Rhys. Or something like that! The main melody is based around the lower part of the major scale and barely, if ever, steps outside those five tones. The semi-hypnotic effect of this approach contrasts the easy-going nature of Dave’s vocals. Skillfully done.

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TELEGRAPH HILL – Gardens

Based in North London (which is slightly confusing given that Telegraph Hill is in South East London!), Telegraph Hill is described on the Soundcloud page as ‘… a solo Synthpop project that combines elements of Alternative Dance with the spacey, melancholic vocals and atmospherics of Dream Pop. Inspired by the likes of Hatchie, Sweet Trip, The Radio Dept. & New Order’. The Bandcamp version of Gardens includes a lyrics booklet that also contains liner notes and artwork (which is a lovely idea). There is a live line-up of Telegraph Hill too and there have been gigs across the past twelve months.

Gardens certainly follows one New Order template which is to base the song on a major key IIm – IV – I format (sometimes varied into a IV – V – IIIm – IV format) throughout much of the track but with sufficient variation in individual events and sonic fluidity for it never to become dull. That also has some correlation with Hatchie, albeit her approach is poppier. He has a refreshingly unusual and correspondingly engaging voice, slightly ghostly but in a friendly, tranquil kind of a way. Certainly, by combining an essentially synth-driven arrangement with a multitude of contrasting textures and a mid-range melody, Telegraph Hill also lives up to the dreampop aspect of his blurb. This is a lovely track to lose yourself in.

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THE 23S – Youth

Sheffield’s The 23s describe themselves as ‘… a band for modern times with feelings of fear and anxiety’ whose songs have ‘… very intimate and melancholy moments’. If you are on Instagram, you seriously have to visit their page because I am not sure how they have managed to use multiple posts to create huge single images but I do know it is clever, striking and looks amazing. They have had support from MMC Radio, Eclecticmusiclover.com, Bandwagon Radio, Kool Rock Radio and others too.

Youth kicks off with a staccato synthpop sensibility, contrasted by some big single chords and an echoing melodic male vocal. It definitely nods strongly to 1980s Depeche Mode and Tears For Fears but with a dash of Nation Of Language too maybe. The hook of ‘Youth is wasted on the young’ is reinforced throughout and there is some rockier lead guitar that arrives in the final stretch, rounding off a spaciously produced and passionate powerpop piece.

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THE GREAT LESLIE – No Future

Hailing from Essex and London, The Great Leslie have been on my radar for some time and recently won the New Trax Poll on my Trust The Doc Radio Show on Exile FM with this very song. They recently supported James Blunt at the Stimmen Festival in Germany and they performed at the Henley Festival this year too. Last year saw one of their tracks featured in the soundtrack for Made In Chelsea. They are also possibly the only band I have seen describing their music as Disco Rock. And why not?!

No Future may sound [and, artwork-wise, look] like a nod to the heady days of Punk but that is where the connection starts and ends. The vocals come straight in on literally the opening bar and we are immediately whisked into a world of funky bass, powerhouse drums, choppy guitars, arpeggio keys and passionate male vocals. Their chemistry is evident from the outset and the imagination and thought that has gone into the arrangement may not be obvious but it keeps events constantly fluid. The chorus sees the vocal rise up into the upper register with dynamic effect and the sound effects that drift in and out of the mix add to the atmosphere. The song speeds up over the final stretch before ending on two unison semi-quaver rolls. The perfect way to round off an impressive performance of a thoroughly well-constructed track.

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THE JOJO MAN BAND – The Day

Nick Woodgate aka The Jojo Man Band is a regular fresh fave and a highly popular figure within the wider grassroots music community. The Londoner, whose brother is Woody from Madness, a band Nick has written tracks for, is a prolific artist with an ever-expanding catalogue of original material. He always aspires to high standards and works with some fine fellow musicians. In many ways, Nick is the embodiment of the independent artist, self-releasing and working entirely on his own terms without too much concern for what is trending or gaining traction in media circles. His influences are many but they include The Beatles and Steely Dan which, let’s face it, are very good places to start.

The Day is a track that grabbed me by both ears the moment I heard it. The spine-tingling descending chord progression, and an instantly infectious melody that nods to Argent’s God Gave Rock And Roll To You, come straight at you as Nick dispenses with the need for an intro. Initially it is Nick’s voice, with trademark filter, and the guitar that dominate but then the drums bring the rest of the instruments in and a goose-bumping beginning becomes a punchy, perfectly executed pop triumph. Nick’s Beatles influence is certainly evident along with his top-notch songwriting skills and spine-tingling chord progressions. The Day has a lovely lyric that I assume is inspired by Yvonne who is such a rock in Nick’s life. What a delightful way to finish off this fine selection of tunes.

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PS from Del: If you’ve submitted a track that hasn’t been picked for the Listening Post, our team has definitely listened to it and there’s no need to send it again: feel free to send us an even stronger track another week. The same goes if you were picked for the Listening Post but didn’t feature in our Fresh Faves.

But if we’ve recently featured you in our Fresh Faves – please wait three months before sending us another track, so we have space to help other deserving artists… For more info see Robinson Has A Good Old Moan.