Photo of The Neighbourhood from their Facebook account
After spending three weeks at #2, “Private” by The Neighbourhood finally dislodges “Rein Me In” to take over the top spot on my latest chart. The captivating song is from their fifth studio album (((((ultraSOUND))))), released last November, although the track itself was actually released at the end of October but didn’t begin charting until June. Formed in Ventura County west of Los Angeles in 2011, the band consists of four of the five original members: heavily tattooed, silky-voiced vocalist Jesse Rutherford, guitarists Jeremy Freedman and Zach Abels and bassist Mikey Margott, as well as drummer Brandon Fried who joined in 2014. I love their sophisticated style of alternative rock that incorporates elements of pop, electronic, hip hop and R&B.
I’ve been a big fan of The Neighbourhood from the moment I first heard their magnificent song “Sweater Weather” back in the summer of 2013. It ultimately became my favorite song of 2013 and 4th favorite song of the entire decade of the 2010s, and is obviously a favorite of many others, as it’s been streamed nearly 5 billion times just on Spotify alone. Since March, The Neighbourhood has been on their worldwide tour which will conclude in Los Angeles in December. “Private” is their fourth song to top my chart, after the aforementioned “Sweater Weather”, “Stargazing” in 2021, and “Hula Girl”, also from (((((ultraSOUND))))), this past April. I love the song’s hypnotic beat, gentle thumping bassline and intricate blend of jangly, chiming and grungy guitar notes. But most of all, I love Rutherford’s sensuous croons that add to the eerily enchanting sound.
Entering the top 10 are “Stone Over Water” by Death Cab for Cutie, “I Feel Hope Coming” by Alabama Shakes, and “We Might as Well Be Strangers” by Weezer featuring Wednesday.
For a third week there are two new entries to my chart, starting with “Good Times // End Times” by American progressive/funk rock band Goose. The song is from their sixth album BIG MODERN!, which dropped in June, and follows “Good2B”, which spent 12 weeks on my chart over the summer, peaking at #4. I’ve come to like this band a lot!
The second new entry is “Already Gone” by the enigmatic and dangerously sexy country artist Orville Peck (born Daniel Pitout in South Africa and now based in Los Angeles). In addition to his unique brand of alternative country and deep baritone singing voice, Peck (who is gay) is known for often wearing a fringed mask and not showing his face. In a 2023 interview for People magazine, he elaborated on his decision to wear a fringed mask: “I grew up loving country where there was an intersection between theatricality and very honest songwriting. Dolly’s a perfect example—the big wigs, the crazy outfits, but it’s her. For me, I was obsessed with the Lone Ranger, cowboys hiding their face, so that’s what I wanted to do.” He’s also an actor who made his Broadway debut on March 31, 2025, playing the Emcee in the revival of Cabaret for 16 weeks. “Already Gone” is from his fourth studio album Mule, released September 18th.
PRIVATE – The Neighbourhood (2)
REIN ME IN – Sam Fender & Olivia Dean (1)
LOST BOYS – Phoebe Bridgers (5)
BEACHES IN TENNESSEE – Cage the Elephant (6)
MARIANNE – Fontaines D.C. (7)
HEART STOP – The Revivalists (4)
ONLINE – Western Jaguar (3)
STONE OVER WATER – Death Cab for Cutie (11)
I FEEL HOPE COMING – Alabama Shakes (12)
WE MIGHT AS WELL BE STRANGERS – Weezer feat. Wednesday (13)
I CAN TAKE THE SUN OUT OF THE SKY – Brigitte Calls Me Baby (14)
NO MORE REGRETS – almost monday (10)
RAGING HALLS – Lyia Meta (8)
DOORS – Noah Kahan (9)
LOSER – Tame Impala (19)
EVERGREEN – Young the Giant (17)
EDGE OF THE EARTH – The Beaches (18)
BEHIND THE LINES OF REASON – Hardwicke Circus (20)
It’s a third week on top for the beautiful “Rein Me In” by Sam Fender and Olivia Dean, as well as a third week at #2 for “Private” by The Neighbourhood, who’ve spent much of this year on their world tour which began in late March and concludes in their hometown of Los Angeles in December. Fontaines D.C. are the biggest upward movers again this week as their mesmerizing song “Marianne” jumps 10 spots to #7.
There are two new entries to my chart again this week, starting with “High Hopes 3000” by Los Angeles-based artist ROLE MODEL, the music project of 28-year-old singer-songwriter Tucker Harrington Pillsbury. The song is from his third studio album Chuck Timely & The Hourglass, which dropped August 7th. His 2025 single “Sally, When the Wine Runs Out” topped my chart exactly one year ago.
The second new entry is “Black Dog Rabbit Hole” by Nashville-based soul singer-songwriter Devon Gilfillian. The song is featured on his fourth album Time Will Tell, released on June 26th. His 2020 single “Unchained” reached #10 on my chart and ranks #68 on my 100 Best Songs of 2020 list.
REIN ME IN – Sam Fender & Olivia Dean (1)
PRIVATE – The Neighbourhood (2)
ONLINE – Western Jaguar (3)
HEART STOP – The Revivalists (4)
LOST BOYS – Phoebe Bridgers (7)
BEACHES IN TENNESSEE – Cage the Elephant (8)
MARIANNE – Fontaines D.C. (17)
RAGING HALLS – Lyia Meta (5)
DOORS – Noah Kahan (6)
NO MORE REGRETS – almost monday (9)
STONE OVER WATER – Death Cab for Cutie (13)
I FEEL HOPE COMING – Alabama Shakes (15)
WE MIGHT AS WELL BE STRANGERS – Weezer feat. Wednesday (11)
I CAN TAKE THE SUN OUT OF THE SKY – Brigitte Calls Me Baby (12)
HOLD ME IN THE DARK – Myles Smith (14)
THE ENDLESS BORDER – Velvet Jesus (10)
EVERGREEN – Young the Giant (20)
EDGE OF THE EARTH – The Beaches (21)
LOSER – Tame Impala (23)
BEHIND THE LINES OF REASON – Hardwicke Circus (22)
Sam Fender & Olivia Dean from the “Rein Me In” video
Sam Fender and Olivia Dean remain on top for a second week with “Rein Me In”, while Los Angeles alt rock band The Neighbourhood hold the #2 spot again with their captivating “Private”. “Online” by British Columbia, Canada-based artist Western Jaguar advances two spots to #3. In addition to Western Jaguar, two other Canadian acts are represented on this chart – The Beaches, whose song “Edge of the Earth” sits at #21, and Bealby Point, whose song “Metastasized” currently ranks #25. I must state that I’m both horrified and furious that our out-of-control lunatic president has started a needless economic war with our friendly neighbors to the north.
Irish band Fontaines D.C. are this week’s biggest upward movers, as their song “Marianne” leaps 11 spots to #17.
There are two new additions to my chart this week, the first of which is the wonderfully boisterous “Love To Go” by Nashville-based alt-rock band Edgehill, comprised of Chris Kelly (lead vocals and guitar), Jake Zimmermann (lead guitar and vocals), and Aidan Cunningham (drums). The trio have been putting out great songs since 2022, but I only learned about them earlier this year with the release of their song “Doubletake”, which ultimately went all the way to #1 on the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart and #2 on my chart. Both “Doubletake” and “Love To Go” are from their debut album Ode to the Greyhouse, which was released this past February.
The second new entry is “Young Again” by Florida-based rock band Shinedown. Formed in 2001, the lineup presently includes founding members Brent Smith (lead vocals) and Barry Kerch (drums), as well as Zach Myers (guitar, piano, backing vocals) and Eric Bass (bass, guitar, piano, backing vocals). Shinedown has the most #1 singles on the Billboard Mainstream Rock charts with 23, and all 37 of their released singles have reached the top five. To date, the band has sold more than 10 million records worldwide. (Wikipedia) “Young Again” is from their eighth album EI8HT, released this past May and also includes their song “Three Six Five”, which spent 12 weeks on my chart last year.
REIN ME IN – Sam Fender & Olivia Dean (1)
PRIVATE – The Neighbourhood (2)
ONLINE – Western Jaguar (5)
HEART STOP – The Revivalists (7)
RAGING HALLS – Lyia Meta (3)
DOORS – Noah Kahan (4)
LOST BOYS – Phoebe Bridgers (10)
BEACHES IN TENNESSEE – Cage the Elephant (9)
NO MORE REGRETS – almost monday (8)
THE ENDLESS BORDER – Velvet Jesus (6)
WE MIGHT AS WELL BE STRANGERS – Weezer feat. Wednesday (15)
I CAN TAKE THE SUN OUT OF THE SKY – Brigitte Calls Me Baby (16)
STONE OVER WATER – Death Cab for Cutie (17)
HOLD ME IN THE DARK – Myles Smith (14)
I FEEL HOPE COMING – Alabama Shakes (20)
REPEAT OFFENDER – Gloom is Okay (11)
MARIANNE – Fontaines D.C. (28)
SELF AWARE – Temper City (12)
FREAKING OUT – Michigander (13)
EVERGREEN – Young the Giant 22)
EDGE OF THE EARTH – The Beaches (23)
BEHIND THE LINES OF REASON – Hardwicke Circus (24)
Sam Fender & Olivia Dean taken from the “Rein Me In” video
After several weeks of waiting in the wings, the gorgeous “Rein Me In” by English singer-songwriter Sam Fender and English singer-songwriter Olivia Dean (who won the Best New Artist Grammy earlier this year) ascends to the top of my chart. The song is a re-recorded duet version of the original from Fender’s third studio album People Watching. The original version of “Rein Me In” was released in June 2025 as the sixth single from the album and eventually became Fender’s first song to reach #1 on the UK Singles Chart in February 2026, as well as winning the Brit Award for Song of the Year. In addition to Fender and Dean’s great vocals, I love the beautiful piano, jangly guitar and blaring sax.
Fender debuted the new version during a show at London Stadium in June, bringing Dean on stage to perform it with him. Videos of that performance went viral, and the two performed it again nine days later at Fender’s St. James’ Park concert. Fender announced the official release of the new version on June 20th, stating that Dean “added a female perspective to ‘Rein Me In,’ and I think it’s all the better for it“. The original and duet versions ended up spending a combined 23 non-consecutive weeks at number one, making it the longest-running number-one single in UK music history. The song also topped the charts in Australia and Ireland and reached #2 in New Zealand. It became Fender’s first entry on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 45. “Rein Me In” is his second song to reach #1 on my chart, the first being his 2021 single “Seventeen Going Under”.
In other chart developments of note, The Neighbourhood move into second place with “Private”, while Cage the Elephant‘s “Beaches In Tennessee” and Phoebe Bridgers‘ “Lost Boys” enter the top 10. The sole debut this week, entering at #28, is the enthralling “Marianne”, the new single from the always wonderful Irish rock band Fontaines D.C. The song is the lead single from their forthcoming fifth album Dopamine Chamber, set for release October 16th.
REIN ME IN – Sam Fender & Olivia Dean (3)
PRIVATE – The Neighbourhood (4)
RAGING HALLS – Lyia Meta (1)
DOORS – Noah Kahan (2)
ONLINE – Western Jaguar (6)
THE ENDLESS BORDER – Velvet Jesus (7)
HEART STOP – The Revivalists (8)
NO MORE REGRETS – almost monday (10)
BEACHES IN TENNESSEE – Cage the Elephant (11)
LOST BOYS – Phoebe Bridgers (12)
REPEAT OFFENDER – Gloom is Okay (5)
SELF AWARE – Temper City (9)
FREAKING OUT – Michigander (14)
HOLD ME IN THE DARK – Myles Smith (15)
WE MIGHT AS WELL BE STRANGERS – Weezer feat. Wednesday (17)
I CAN TAKE THE SUN OUT OF THE SKY – Brigitte Calls Me Baby (19)
STONE OVER WATER – Death Cab for Cutie (20)
PICKING DRAGON’S POCKETS – Modest Mouse (13)
WE SHOULD TALK – Bleachers (18)
I FEEL HOPE COMING – Alabama Shakes (23)
LOVE ME NOT – Grace Potter (16)
EVERGREEN – Young the Giant 24)
EDGE OF THE EARTH – The Beaches (25)
BEHIND THE LINES OF REASON – Hardwicke Circus (26)
Photo of Lyia and Cha Cha Girl taken from her Facefook account
“Raging Halls” by Malaysian singer-songwriter extraordinaire Lyia Meta remains atop my chart for a second week, while American singer-songwriter Noah Kahan moves into second place with “Doors”. Entering the top 10 is “no more regrets” by San Diego, California-based indie pop band almost monday.
There are three new additions to my chart this week, starting with “Loser” by Australian act Tame Impala, the music project of singer-songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Kevin Parker. The song, which debuts at #27, was actually released last September (2025) as the second single from Tame Impala’s fifth album Deadbeat, which dropped a month later, but as with The Beaches’ “Edge of the Earth” is currently appearing on various alternative charts (which heavily influence my own chart). His single “Dracula” spent three weeks at the top of my chart at the beginning of this year.
Entering at #29 is “Window” by legendary American rock band the Foo Fighters. The song is from their 12th studio album Your Favorite Toy, released this past April. And coming in at #30 is “Metastasized”, the latest single by Vancouver, Canada-based indie pop-rock band Bealby Point, who currently consist of Jack Armstrong (lead vocals, guitar), Jordan Studer (bass) and Zack Yeager (drums). I’ve been a big fan of theirs since learning about them in 2021, and have featured them several times on this blog. “Metastasized” will be included on their forthcoming debut album Happiness Frontier.
RAGING HALLS – Lyia Meta (1)
DOORS – Noah Kahan (3)
REIN ME IN – Sam Fender & Olivia Dean (4)
PRIVATE – The Neighbourhood (5)
REPEAT OFFENDER – Gloom is Okay (2)
ONLINE – Western Jaguar (7)
THE ENDLESS BORDER – Velvet Jesus (8)
HEART STOP – The Revivalists (10)
SELF AWARE – Temper City (6)
NO MORE REGRETS – almost monday (11)
BEACHES IN TENNESSEE – Cage the Elephant (12)
LOST BOYS – Phoebe Bridgers (13)
PICKING DRAGONS’ POCKETS – Modest Mouse (9)
FREAKING OUT – Michigander (16)
HOLD ME IN THE DARK – Myles Smith (17)
LOVE ME NOT – Grace Potter (18)
WE MIGHT AS WELL BE STRANGERS – Weezer feat. Wednesday (19)
WE SHOULD TALK – Bleachers (20)
I CAN TAKE THE SUN OUT OF THE SKY – Brigitte Calls Me Baby (21)
STONE OVER WATER – Death Cab for Cutie (22)
EXIT WOUND – Ships Have Sailed (14)
MARATHONS – Sorry Ghost (15)
I FEEL HOPE COMING – Alabama Shakes (26)
EVERGREEN – Young the Giant 28)
EDGE OF THE EARTH – The Beaches (29)
BEHIND THE LINES OF REASON – Hardwicke Circus (30)
Photo of Lyia Meta taken from her Facebook account.
Malaysian artist Lyia Meta is a highly accomplished, award-winning and Grammy-nominated Renaissance woman in every sense of the word. She’s not only an insanely talented singer, songwriter and musician, she’s also a writer, teacher, vocal coach and visual artist whose work spans multiple media formats (she surprised me with a pencil-drawn portrait of myself in 2019, which I proudly hang on my bedroom wall).
Possessing a rich contralto singing voice, she’s recorded songs across a wide range of genres including blues, jazz, pop, country, rock and metal. She ranks among my favorite female vocalists, and I’ve featured her numerous times on this blog. We’ve been following each other on social media since 2018, and I finally had the pleasure of meeting Lyia and her husband Zack in person in January when they were in Los Angeles. I’m now thrilled to place her powerful single “Raging Halls” at #1, her first song to top my chart and on the week of my birthday, no less!
The hard-hitting song was co-written by Lyia and E.G. Holmes, who co-produced the track with her longtime Nashville-based collaborator Bob McGilpin (who also played lead and rhythm guitar, bass, drums and synths). Additional contributions on the track include rhythm guitar by Christian Wentz, guitar and synths by John Foster, orchestration and keyboards by Gene Rabbai and backing harmonies by Lisa Brokop. Lyia says the song “explores the tension between desire, risk, and the moment where hesitation transforms into action.” With its soaring melodies and scorching riffs, the song calls to mind some of the great 80s anthems by Journey, Heart and Whitesnake.
Two songs enter the top 10: the captivating “The Endless Border” by Belgian alternative indie rock band Velvet Jesus, advancing three spots to #8, and “Heart Stop” by New Orleans-based alternative roots rock band The Revivalists, which moves up two spots to #10.
There are three new debuts this week, beginning with “Evergreen” by Southern California-based alternative pop rock band Young the Giant. Formed in Irvine, California in 2004, they currently consist of Sameer Gadhia (lead vocals), Jacob Tilley (guitar), Eric Cannata (guitar), Payam Doostzadeh (bass), and Francois Comtois (drums). “Evergreen” is from their sixth album Victory Garden, released on May 1st, and follows “Different Kind of Love”, which peaked at #4 on my chart in early June. It’s hard to believe it’s been seven years since I saw them in concert in 2019.
Entering at #29 is “Edge of the Earth” by Canadian female pop rock band The Beaches. Formed in Toronto in 2009, they’re comprised of sisters Jordan (lead vocals, bass) and Kylie Miller (guitar, backing vocals), Leandra Earl (keyboards, guitar, backing vocals), and Eliza Enman-McDaniel (drums). “Edge of the Earth” was originally released nearly three years ago as the title track of their six-song EP, which also included their marvelous hit single “Blame Brett” that reached #5 on my chart and ranks #46 on my 100 Best Songs of 2024 list. It’s currently moving up the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart (I’m even hearing it played on my local alt-rock station here in Palm Springs), so I’m guessing it went viral on TikTok or similar.
The third new entry is the exuberant “Behind The Lines Of Reason” by the charismatic English alternative indie rock band Hardwicke Circus. Formed in 2015, the band has undergone a few changes in lineup and is now comprised of brothers Jonny (lead vocals, guitar) and Tom Foster (drums, backing vocals), along with Ben Wilde (bass, backing vocals), Zack McDade (lead guitar, backing vocals), Conor Morrissey (keyboards, backing vocals) and Andy Sax (saxophone, backing vocals). I reviewedtheir marvelous 2023 album Fly the Flag and am happy to see them back with “Behind The Lines Of Reason”, which dropped July 17th.
RAGING HALLS – Lyia Meta (2)
REPEAT OFFENDER – Gloom is Okay (1)
DOORS – Noah Kahan (3)
REIN ME IN – Sam Fender & Olivia Dean (4)
PRIVATE – The Neighbourhood (5)
SELF AWARE – Temper City (6)
ONLINE – Western Jaguar (8)
THE ENDLESS BORDER – Velvet Jesus (11)
PICKING DRAGONS’ POCKETS – Modest Mouse (9)
HEART STOP – The Revivalists (12)
NO MORE REGRETS – almost monday (13)
BEACHES IN TENNESSEE – Cage the Elephant (17)
LOST BOYS – Phoebe Bridgers (18)
EXIT WOUND – Ships Have Sailed (7)
MARATHONS – Sorry Ghost (10)
FREAKING OUT – Michigander (20)
HOLD ME IN THE DARK – Myles Smith (21)
LOVE ME NOT – Grace Potter (22)
WE MIGHT AS WELL BE STRANGERS – Weezer feat. Wednesday (23)
WE SHOULD TALK – Bleachers (24)
I CAN TAKE THE SUN OUT OF THE SKY – Brigitte Calls Me Baby (25)
I’ve previously commented many times on this blog about the enormous amount of musical talent coming out of the UK, and today I have yet another shining example of this in the form of Hardwicke Circus, an insanely good five-piece from Carlisle, England. Though they’ve been around since 2015, I only learned about them last week when their PR rep reached out to me about them and their recently-released album Fly the Flag. I liked it at first listen, and as I customarily do for all artists and bands I’m writing about for the first time, I listened to as much of their back music catalog as I could get my hands on. I love all of it, and am now a committed fan! Hardwicke Circus is a brilliant band, and I strongly urge my readers to take the time to check out at least some of their music.
They’re also clever and funny, and their bio so colorful and amusing, I’m just going to quote from it rather than try and paraphrase. “Just in case you’re wondering, Hardwicke Circus is from Carlisle, and “Where the fuck is Carlisle!” greets us gig after gig. You only end up in Carlisle by accident. It’s on the boundary of England but not Scotland, on the edge of the Lake District but not the countryside: we don’t fit. This storm centre of English drunkenness is home to an arms depot and an economy reliant on biscuits & the Blues, with a business icon in Eddie Stobart whose sole purpose is to take things away from Carlisle via the city’s best known roundabout, allegedly named after this gang of travelling brothers. Carlisle does not suffer fools; we export them.
Hardwicke Circus was formed by brothers Jonny and Tommy Foster, who had a passion for making music from an early age. They developed a reputation on their street for making a racket but they were not to be deterred. Throughout their school years they surrounded themselves with the best musicians Carlisle had to offer, more than once poaching them from other school bands. When their friends began the university treadmill, Hardwicke Circus jumped in a van, hit the road and didn’t look back. They earned their stripes in Hells Angels pubs, clubs, theaters and prisons, soaking up long journeys to the rebel rousing music of Dylan, Springsteen, Philadelphia soul, Motown, the Stray Cats, The Clash and more.“
Their dynamic live shows and skillful songwriting so impressed renowned music veteran Dave Robinson, he came out of retirement to become their manager. Robinson’s professional resume is both extensive and impressive. He started out as road manager for Jimi Hendrix, also handling major tours in the U.S. for Eric Burden & The Animals, the Young Rascals and Vanilla Fudge. He then returned to London and managed Brinsley Schwarz, Graham Parker, Nick Lowe, Dave Edmunds, Ian Dury and Elvis Costello. He also built a recording studio above the legendary Hope & Anchor pub in Islington, and with Jake Riviera, started his label Stiff Records, signing such acts as The Damned, Motorhead, Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe, Tracey Ullman, the Plasmatics, Jona Lewie, Ian Dury and the Blockheads, Kirsty MacColl, The Box Tops, The Adverts, Lene Lovich, Shane MacGowan and the Pogues, Madness and more. Robinson was also installed by Chris Blackwell as president of Island Records where he oversaw the careers of U2, Robert Palmer, Steve Winwood, Grace Jones, Aswad and Frankie Goes To Hollywood. He personally compiled and marketed Bob Marley’s Legend, the biggest selling reggae album in the world. The list of his accomplishments goes on, but I’ll stop here, as this review is supposed to be about Hardwicke Circus!
The band became a six-piece early on, but now consists of five members: Jonny Foster (lead vocals, guitar), Tom Foster (drums, backing vocals), Joe Hurst (bass, backing vocals), Lewis Bewley-Taylor (keyboards) and Jack Pearce (saxophones). They released their debut single “Please Don’t Try This At Home” in 2017, then followed a month later with a four-song EP Hot Moves. After playing hundreds of gigs in pubs and parties throughout Britain and even some European countries, the band secured a coveted spot at the 2020 SXSW. We all know what happened next, and it was curtains for both SXSW and the 165 gigs they had scheduled after that festival.
Forced to regroup, Hardwicke Circus switched gears and focused their attention and energy on recording their first album. They rented a farmhouse in Yorkshire, where they wrote and recorded their debut album The Borderland, an outstanding work that pays homage to the land they love, as well as touching on then-current topics like the pandemic on the wonderful track “Lockdown”, and racial inequality and social injustice on “Hands Up Don’t Shoot”. One of the highlights on the album is their rousing anthem “Walking On Broken Glass”.
In November 2021, Hardwicke Circus played a series of gigs at 15 prisons throughout England. Inspired by Johnny Cash’s legendary 1968 album Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison, the guys decided to memorialize those gigs with their 13-track album At Her Majesty’s Pleasure, released in May 2022. (In the UK, prisons are known as HMPs, which stands for His or Her Majesty’s Prisons, depending on the gender of the reigning monarch, followed by the location or city in which they’re located.)
On June 9th, they dropped their third album Fly the Flag, a delightful romp featuring 12 head-bopping bangers fashioned from an eclectic mix of influences, including rock’n’roll, punk, Motown, Philadelphia soul, ska, blues and even Gypsy folk. The album opens strong with the buoyant “Every Day I Find the Luck“, an uplifting track with an exuberant, toe-tapping groove, colorful instrumentation and soaring choruses as Jonny and company sing of keeping positive and always aiming high: “Is this what I’m looking for? I can tell that I’m getting close, closer to the prize at the end of the rope. / Show me a sign, is it all I’ve got? I’ve given it my best shot. Every day I find the luck. If only I could reach it.”
The wonderful “Bang My Head (To the Rhythm of Life)” reminds me of some of the great 70s songs by Sound of Philadelphia acts like the O’Jays, Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, T.S.O.P., McFadden & Whitehead and the Trammps, grabbing us by the hips and compelling us to move! And “True Love & Near Misses” is downright fabulous, with an infectious, fast-paced groove and achingly beautiful hook, highlighted by Lewis Bewley-Taylor’s gorgeous keyboards and Jack Pearce’s exuberant saxophone. And I cannot emphasize enough how much I adore Jonny Foster’s raspy but beautiful, heavily-accented vocals that occupy a sweet spot between Joe Strummer and Eddie Money here.
The anthemic “Can You Hear Me Now?” has an early Springsteen folk-rock vibe, with Jack’s soulful sax seemingly paying homage to the great Clarence Clemons. “Rejection Is Better Than Regret” – one of the my favorites on an album full of them – is a delightful take on the old adage ‘it’s better to have love and lost than to have never loved at all’: “Rejection is better than regret my love. I guess that’s why you’re my ex. You’re so sweet and lovely though, but I don’t like the way you look with him.” I love the fun, retro 70s vibe that calls to mind songs by ABBA, The Sweet and Bay City Rollers.
The guys slow things down on the introspective and melancholy “Battlefield“, a song about a love affair that now lies in ruins: “I live on a battlefield, where love has turned to rust./ You feel abandoned, who’s to blame. Courage is not what you keep, it’s what you give away.” Musical highlight for me are the expressive percussion, bold piano keys, moody sax, soulful organ, and what sounds like a vibraphone. With it’s lively, piano-driven groove, “A Johnny Come Lately” has a catchy ABBA vibe, nicely augmented with Jack’s rousing sax and Tom’s spirited drums. The album’s title comes from the lyrics “I’m flying the flag for you.”
“The Colour In Everything” has a strong Motown vibe, and in fact features a piano riff that sounds a bit like the one in the Four Tops’ classic “I Can’t Help Myself”. Also, what I’m guessing is Jack’s baritone sax gives the such a distinctive Motown sound. The colorful, synth-dominant “Our Town” is a brutally honest homage to the contradictions of the band’s home town, with cheeky lyrics like “Runny noses and ripped wedding gowns, that’s romance in our town. A compliment is a good putdown with a smile in our town.” The song starts off with a pleasing melody, but gradually transitions to a full-blown rocker with edgy guitars, heavy organ riff, aggressive percussion and bold sax, abruptly ending with rapped verses in the final 20 seconds.
The terrific songs just keep on coming. The rousing ska-infused gem “Night Train To London“, with its exuberant Gypsy folk vibe, fortified by Jack’s wailing sax, is pure delight. The guys let loose on the high-energy banger “It’s Not Over Till It’s Over“, unleashing a torrent of driving riffs, stomping rhythms, colorful keyboards, soaring choruses, and more of those great saxophone flourishes. Saving the best for last, the guys channel late 50s rock’n’roll with the wonderfully bluesy “No More Doggin’“. Holy shit, these guys can play just about anything! The combination of bluesy guitars and bass, sultry sax, and that phenomenal honky tonk piano create a dramatic and colorful backdrop for Jonny’s raw vocals oozing with unabashed swagger.
I’m not sure what more I can say about Fly the Flag, other than to keep gushing about how wonderful it is. Just about everything I can think of – the songwriting and lyrics, arrangements, instrumentation, vocals and production values – are perfection, and it’s easily one of the best albums of 2023 so far. Every song is first-rate, with no filler tracks or ones I would even consider skipping over. I love this album and love this band.
Here’s the album on YouTube:
Those fortunate enough to be in the UK can catch Hardwicke Circus at one of their upcoming shows:
