Waylayers - Take Hold

The last time we wrote about London band Waylayers last year, we said that the band sounded like Coldplay had gone all dance on us. Based on that, you might think that Chris Martin himself has been reading this blog, seeing as this his band went the way of four-to-the-floor with the release of "Sky Full Of Stars".

It perhaps in retaliation to that that Waylayers have distanced themselves from those comparisons on the release of their new single, "Take Hold". Gone are the heartfelt-techno vibes of  "S.O.S", instead to be replaced by something that could best be described as dark-disco. The song is filled with pulsating basslines and somewhat sinister backing vocals, whilst their vocals are much less Chris Martin-ish than they have been in the past.

We said last year that we wanted to hear something less indebted to other bands and more of the band's own sound, and it looks like with "Take Hold", Waylayers are on the right track.

"Take Hold" will be released on September 15th.

Black Casino & The Ghost - I Like You Cause You're Free

When your group is called Black Casino & The Ghost, it's very unlikely that you're going to get happy-go-lucky songs about sunshine, daffodils, and eating too many sweeties. The London based 4-piece describe their music as being about "isolation, disorientation, lust, and how to fly a plane through turbulence without spilling your coffee." Having released a well-received E.P in late 2011, the group have released a new single to foreshadow the release of their debut album.

"I Like You Cause You're Free" is a piano-led song about the fallacy of modern communication, about living in a time when "all we are is what we choose to hide from each other". Despite the dark subject matter, the song is actually quite enjoyable, something that can be put down to the almost Beatles-esques production and chord progressions. The last minute of the song has a "Hey Jude" feel to it, albeit one with a jet black streak running through its DNA.

"I Like You Cause You're Free" is available to download for free, and is taken from their debut album "Some Dogs Think Their Name is No", which is due for release in September.

The Search - Silent Days

Sweden may be renowned for its rich pop tapestry, but it also has habit of churning out some fantastic indie and alternative artists as well, with acts such as The Hives, Dungen & First Aid Kit floating my Metaphorical Boat in the past few years. Now the next act from the country hoping to break through are Uppsala based quartet The Search.

On their track "Silent Days" the group mix Gary Numan-esque synths with the rock stylings of Echo and the Bunnymen for a dark, alluring track that forces the listener to revel in its own sense of melancholy, and not let go. The Search make you want to embrace the dark side, and sometimes there's nothing wrong with that.

"Silent Days" features on the album "The Search for Connection Contact and Community", which will be released on 30th September.

Retriever - Arms Out Wide

A few days ago I looked at "Little Black Cloud" by Cult Image and stated that it would be released as a split 7" on September 10th. In the interest of fairness, I thought I would take a moment to look at the band whom they are sharing the release with, the dark and gritty Retriever.

Newcastle Upon Tyne 3-piece Retriever have been described as "the dark unbelly of the Newcastle scene", and on listening to "Arms Out Wide", it is not difficult to see why. The song is a mixture of the vocals stylings of Siouxie Sioux, and the sonic attacks of Joy Division and Bauhaus. "Arms Open Wide" is a song that revels in its unforgiving darkness.

The track will be released on a split 7" on September 10th with Cult Image on Splash One Records.