Wakefield’s Favourite Sons kick off The Flower Hour 17. Yes, it’s the return of ever fantastic band of Yorkshire brothers, The Cribs. Whilst Autumn may be well and truly here, their new tune - “Summer Seizures” - starts off with a rather sunny disposition and feels - disarmingly - uncharacteristically understated and melodic. After a protracted intro though, we sidle satisfyingly into pretty typical Cribs territory (hey, if it ain’t broke…) with Gary and Ryan’s vocals complimenting each other perfectly - as only they can - and Ross steadying the ship as always. Musically, they seem to be operating in a similar sphere to the sound of 2009s Ignore The Ignorant album. Towards the back-end of the song they seem to veer slightly into The Killers synth-rock arena with predictably tremendous results. Their new album - Selling A Vibe - is due in January and can be pre-ordered from PIAS here.
The Cribs are followed by The Wombats (which, we must admit, feels like a very 2008 sequence, but we dig it) whose new EP - Oh! The Ocean: Holy Sugar - is 6 tracks of tried and tested danceable indie-pop rock. “Blood On The Hospital Floor” is the lead single from it and feels like an indie club anthem from yesteryear but at the same time feels incredibly fresh. Part of the “indie sleaze” (shudder) revival - The Wombats - along with bands like Art Brut, We Are Scientists, Maximo Park and many more, are enjoying a bit of a resurgence lately. Evidently The Wombats haven’t missed a beat - this upbeat, bittersweet, stomper feels like the band we used to know and love and it’s fantastic to have them back.
Contravening the precedent set by the first two tracks, Big Cry Country are a band who are - comparatively at least - young, fresh and new, as Kelis once said. We recently reviewed their sophomore EP for Start Track and this song was our favourite. Don’t get us wrong, the whole thing is great, but the energy on “Grand Designs” is a bit more nuanced than the rest of it and we found just a little bit more to appreciate. There’s a subtlety to the songwriting here that evokes suggestions of emotions. Part pop-punk, part power pop, part indie - it feels a bit like the also obscenely catchy Fortitude Valley - expertly crafted pop/rock songs, delivered with gusto, conviction and abandon but also laced with a palpable sense of anxiety and tension.
“Sienna” by The Marías is one of those annoying songs that interrupts you whilst you’re trying to listen to music you actually want to listen to. Now, normally that makes our skin crawl (we’ve heard enough of the new Coldplay song and it’s accompanying video to last us a lifetime - and we usually skip it within about 20 seconds of it rudely interrupting us) and such practises are the antithesis of what we at Kinda Grizzly stand for and support. However. This one is a tune. From the first moment to its last breath, this pop masterclass sounds like a hybrid of of Billie Eilish, Taylor Swift, Doja Cat and Lana Del Ray and is a lazy, hazy dreamscape of a song that ensnares and beguiles in equal measure. It dates from last year - so it’s not exactly new, which most of the songs that we feature are - but we thought it worth a mention, based on the way we stumbled upon it. Truly unignorable stuff.
“UNICORN SOLDIER” is the new tune by the artist known as Monsieur (real name Jérôme Meyroneinc). Making his triumphant return to The Flower Hour, the new track is continuing in very much the same vein as his prior single DO IT RIGHT - which we also featured back in May. UNICORN SOLDIER blends Random Access Memories-era Daft Punk, a dash of Prince, a touch of Chic and the spirit of bands like Metronomy in it’s slinky laid-back vibes to create and almost tropical sounding soundtrack to the end of summer. The instrumentation and production are on point and the song sounds as clean, polished and professional as anything we can remember hearing in recent times.
This is followed by another artist returning to The Flower Hour - Thailand’s Beat Vibes Diary. New tune “Vacation” is so laid-back it’s almost reclined. It comes across like the perfect song to soundtrack a lazy moment or two or perhaps a brief period of reflection or meditation. Cool, calm and splendidly crafted, this feels like an audible caramel iced latte. The brainchild of Bangkok multi-instrumentalist Ruksachai Thanawangnoi - aka Bamboo - Beats Vibes Diary loves jazz, hip-hop, soul and pop - and that’s all evident here. Vacation is a real mish-mash of elements and the resulting work of art is eminently easy to enjoy.
Start Track’s resident folk hero/singer-songwriter Rapt - aka Jacob Ware - is on something of a roll. After an expansive UK tour with the engrossing Luke De-Sciscio he is now embarking on releasing a series of songs. In lieu of the traditional album format (although he can do that excellently too - see February’s Until The Light Takes Us for a fantastic recent example of this) he will be unleashing a string of what will very likely be heart-wrenchingly enchanting neo-folk tunes beginning with this one - the bittersweet “Ocean Lay Straight”. In the words of Jacob himself: “My aim with this series is simply to release songs…until I feel there is a body of work that can be seen as a whole. At that stage, I’ll press it to tape/vinyl and move on. This could take a year, could take two — all I know is I’ve removed the pressure of an album from my life”. We will anxiously wait to see how it shapes up.
“Mountain Song” channels Fleet Foxes, Ryan Adams, Midlake and Father John Misty and is a soulful, rootsy indie pop/rock song. Without a doubt, there are also distinct 70s leanings that recall the vibe of acts like Simon & Garfunkel, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young & Harry Nilsson, but Nashville-based Canadian singer-songwriter Al Nicoll has shaped these retro-influences into something more contemporary feeling. Warm, endearing and engaging, Mountain Songs is a glorious taster of his long-awaited forthcoming debut album Only Hoping which you can pre-save here. He’s supporting The Brian Jonestown Massacre at SLO Brew Rock in San Luis Obispo, California in November and we reckon it’ll be well worth a look. Grab a ticket if you can!
Up next is Libby Ember, a 19 year old music student who is responsible for releasing one of the most memorable things we’ve heard this year - the amazingly accomplished Fortune Cookies. On her debut EP I Kill Spiders she keeps the quality going with 4 tracks of angsty, heart-on-sleeve Phoebe Bridgers-style acoustic indie/emo song-smithery. “I Kill Spiders” is the title track and it’s a reflective, emotional tune about the little things and big feelings. Self-reflection and existential pondering is the order of the day - “Is it my fault? Could it be true? That all of this is happening coz I kill spiders in my room?” she asks in some kind of 21st Century Wednesday Addams/Butterfly Effect mash-up. The combination of the breezy music and the pensive perspective lead to the song feeling both light and heavy at the same time and its quite the artistic feat.
“Weaver” by Dominie Hooper is about a past short-term relationship. It’s a country-tinged alt/indie style ballad in the style of a much more restrained Anna Calvi. There’s a Cassadaga-era Bright Eyes feels to the instrumentation as well as more than a touch of Aldous Harding in the vocal delivery. With glorious semi-acoustic guitar tones, pared back percussion and what sounds a bit like an ethereal pedal steel, the elements blend together beautifully to make something altogether larger than then sum of it’s parts. We had the pleasure of witnessing her perform it live a little while ago (which you can read all about here). The album it’s taken from - In This Body Lives” - comes out at the end of the month (on Halloween to be specific) via Lost Map Records and can be pre-ordered here.
“Road To Corinth” Hilary Cousins dials up the country influence but infuses it with an almost “red dirt” grit. It starts as a smooth ballad, an ode to desperation, determination, desire and dedication. Flickers of lead guitar pop in and out and adopt various tones lending the song multiple dimensions and helping it evolve as it goes on. As the song progresses it becomes apparent that it’s about the composers faith (as opposed to an episode of Power Rangers RPM). Faith is a beautiful thing and can get people through all manner of unimaginable hardship, for that reason it is something to be cherished and shared. It sounds like Hilary Cousins certainly gets that.
“Face The Future” is the third single from the forthcoming BBQ Pope album Unfurl. The Toronto trio have been on an almighty roll this year having released a string of bangers and this new tune keeps the trend going. Seemingly about the notion of coming to terms with the reality of being a musician who also has to hold down a “real” job - one eye on the future they want and another on the one they seemingly have to have. Musically it touches on grunge, post-punk, indie and pop punk. It’s full of character, attitude and spirit, which are qualities that are reflected in the guitar solo towards the end - as the song breaks down and builds up again. It’s not about virtuosity, but personality. Part Pixies, part Gang Of Four, part Dinosaur Jr - this revitalised version of BBQ Pope are really onto something. Look out for our interview with the Reid Millar from the band coming to the Start Track blog later this month.
Up next is “Wings Of Fire” by Nova Scotia’s The Boojums which keeps the rocking Canadian three-piece theme going. Introduced to us by Black Rainbow Collective’s Steve Hancock (whose fantastic podcast The Spark you should definitely check out) - it’s 157 seconds of raw, full-throttle, balls-to-the-wall, garage-rock vim and vigour. Only formed in late 2024, their sound is clearly already very well defined. We’re reminded of acts like The Jim Jones Revue, The Cramps, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and The Subways - but all rolled into one. Their entirely self-recorded self-titled debut album is available on a beautiful translucent baby blue vinyl form their Bandcamp and at the time of writing, there is only one copy left! Go go go!
The new tune from the Nottingham legends Sleaford Mods is up next. “Megaton” is forged in the unmistakable sound of Jason Williamson’s dulcet tones and Andrew Fearn’s bassy, bubbling, beats. Full of Jason’s trademark acerbic wit, snappy one-liners and sometimes baffling (but always entertaining) observations, Megaton is a vital addition to the Mods canon - with nods to the ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine in both lyrics and artwork. No war, no death, indeed. All we have is hope. The track is accompanied by a Nick Waplington-directed video, filmed at Speaker’s Corner in London’s Hyde Park which you should definitely see. Continuing the duo’s partnership with the charity War Child, all profits from Megaton will be donated to support War Child’s life-changing work with children affected by conflict.
“Crying” is the new single by adults. Described by the band as “a simple indie pop song about trying to manage conflict with someone you love, but really just getting into arguments with the other person in your head”. It’s the second song released from their forthcoming album "The Seeds We Sow Are Sprouting Buds Nonetheless”, it’s part twee, part punk and part pop. Like Allo Darlin’ having a fight with Fortitude Valley, its full of scratchy guitars, lead fuzz, urgent drums and dual vocals from co-singers Tom and Joely. We’re also reminded of Los Campesinos! - with their ramshackle charm and spirited performances. Speaking of performances, we were introduced to this band when we saw them live last month at New Rivers Studio (which we reviewed here). They have several live shows coming up soon and we’d heartily recommend getting down to one if you can.
“Comafields” is half of the newest two part, 23 minute EP from South London audio wizard Burial. Will Bevan has been doing this shit for a long time now and it shows. Crafted with the care, precision, respect and love that we have associated with him since he burst onto the post-dubstep scene in 2001, Comafields exists in the space between night and day. It’s the sound of leaving the club in slow-motion and emerging into burgeoning daylight. There is almost a touch of Acid House to this - although obviously much more subdued - perhaps on barbiturates. Whatever, he’s on, it’s resulted in captivating, compelling electronica, as it always does. The last few minutes take a tonal shift and the tempo increases as the memories of the night before come flooding back the morning after.
And that’s it! We hope you have enjoyed this months edition and if something here has touched you, please, reach out and let the musicians know! It’s great to #GiveThemTheirFlowers. We’re trying something a bit different next month and we’re quite excited about it. See you then yeah?
Submissions for consideration for inclusion in future instalments of The Flower Hour are always open.
Get in touch by email (kindagrizzly@gmail.com), here on Substack or via social media for consideration for inclusion.
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