Every week the team individually pick tracks that make up the listening post but there are always “ones that got away”.

These are the alternative picks and some words by our moderators on each one. You can find the tracks in one playlist here.

Artists featured this week:

VIV LE VAV
NORTHERN HOSPITALITY
MATARISON
POCKET LINT
JUSTIN SCONZA
THE K.I.J EXPERIENCE
REBECCA PROMITZER
ROSE WILLIAMS
ARTHUR ROBIJNS
SAYTR PLAY

DEL OSEI-OWUSU/PLATINUMMIND:

VIV LE VAV – Moth

The piano part on this is gorgeous, very chilled out! I found myself playing this in church on sunday just to get warmed up. The melody is catchy too, and is definitely one to play over and over again!

NORTHERN HOSPITALITY – Fading Out

NOW THEN! (Private joke…) This band absolutely rocks, the guitars are good and loud but they got sneaky and hid a cowbell in there – is that a nod to Blue Oyster Cult? Possibly!

NEIL MARCH:

MATARISON – Electric Guitar Concerto No. 1 In A Minor: III. Vivace (part 1)

Part of a three movement Concerto, this is the final ‘Vivace’ piece which begins with frantic pizzicato strings and a repeating legato two-note response in the Double Basses. This gives way to a kind of post-minimalist use of gradually altering staccato strings patterns. When the guitar enters, it is understated and melodic. Matarison makes great use of dynamic drama and colour while the guitar is always placed subtly against the orchestra, less like a conventional ‘solo’ instrument and more about texture and timbre.

POCKET LINT – Amethyst Cameo

Mark Heffernan, aka Pocket Lint, is a regular on my Trust The Doc Radio show and part of the lovely grassroots music community that supports the show. His music always mixes influences from early eighties synthwave and electropop with contemporary references and sounds. Vocally Mark is often compared to Marc Almond although I hear more of Glenn Gregory on Amethyst Cameo. There are echoes of Depeche Mode and Talk Talk too in the extended synth chords and counter melodies. Like all Mark’s songs, the writing and arrangement underline the quality of his work and talent.

SHARON PEARCE:

JUSTIN SCONZA – Every Night

I liked the melodic charm of this track. It keeps things simple but effective, with reflective lyrics about loneliness and self-awareness, while the chorus captures the feeling of being stuck in the same lonely routine.

THE K.I.J EXPERIENCE – OST (John Williams)

A minimal but effective instrumental with a laid-back feel. Its modest approach gives it an easy-going charm, while occasional shifts in tempo add subtle variation and help the track evolve naturally.

SHERRY SAHAYARAJ:

REBECCA PROMITZER – The Sweetness Of Missing You

The feel of the song justifies the title “ The sweetness of missing you”; the track exhibits this energy of longing. The vocals are raw and emotional.

ROSE WILLIAMS – I Believe In You

I love the storytelling and melody of this track. With the very minimal production, the track expresses the needed feeling. The chorus melody is very catchy.

TONY HARDY:

ARTHUR ROBIJNS – 28

“28” grabs attention from the opening violin riff which soon forms the backbone of the song. Punchy drums maintain momentum right up to the raucous coda where sax joins overdriven instruments to create a stirring climax. Arthurs tops it all with a determined vocal that draws emotion from ambivalence.

SAYTR PLAY – Victoria (Pt 2)

An earworm of a tune with sharp dynamics highlighted by bright guitar and underpinned by fulsome bass. A conversational lead vocal draws out the politics of relationships in a song true to the classic indie rock playbook. What’s not to like?