‘Figure 8’ opens with a riff that immediately calls back to Nirvana​’s cover of ​‘The Man Who Sold the World’. But where Nirvana brood, Bleech 9:3 charge ahead, piling on crashing drums and guitars with a properly filthy crunch. The Irish four-piece sit at the darker, grittier end of guitar music’s current revival, and scene-leading producer Dan Carey knows better than to clean them up here. Quinlan practically spits ​“they wanna see you quit / they wanna see you crawl”, each repetition pulling the song further into its ​‘Figure 8’ spiral. (Hannah Breen)

The rhythmic collaboration between the guitar section creates an addicting loop in Big Red​’s ​‘Mission St.’ With an old school grunge atmosphere the vocals kick in as a rising chord progression follows, before returning to the guitar loop. A desperate plea, perhaps for change, lies at the heart of the track as vocalist Joseph Scarisbrick acknowledges the lack of presence from the other person. Stuck in a helpless place, there’s a continuous sense of dread as the singer trails off and the guitar glitches, falling back into a depressing loop. (Esther Akinborewa)

“Caring about more than you have / Is what you can’t afford” is the kind of poignant lyricism that adorns Concrete Vehicles’ latest single, the second release to follow their 2025 debut. The track first revels in a restless dissonance upon which Ben Lock’s hushed vocals lay. It’s a brooding atmosphere that’s only partially defused by swelling synths and horns before giving way to an explosive latter half of squealing guitar stabs and an enraged vocal delivery. ​‘Text Stop’, with its bossa nova-tinged climax, places the listener somewhere between a mosh pit and a jazz lounge. An addictive and concise sonic journey. (Harvey Gosling)

Spanky and lithe, Formal Sppeedwear​’s recent run of form has been slick, varied and categorically fun, with their latest new-wave machination, ​‘The Ballad of DCB’ only furthering that notion. Oblique basslines and spidery guitar work are par for the course here, all interweaving above driving motorik drums and a neon dancefloor strut from the Stoke-on-Trent three-piece. Catchy, interesting and exploratory, ​‘The Ballad of DCB’ is a spirited distillation of Formal Sppeedwear’s metamodern remodelling of 80s new-wave pop. (A. L. Noonan)

Fuzz threatens to swallow listeners whole in lifepath99​’s debut single ​‘Misfortune’. A break from singer Bex Vines’ self-titled project BEX, the result aligns itself more with shoegaze than previous folkish sensibilities. Driving bass and a piercing lead line rise perpetually against a descending secondary guitar, building tension which is later resolved through ethereal vocal harmonies, though these barely peek out over the wall of sound. Only the studio’s ambient hum and the muffle of recording equipment, leftover at the end of the track, can break this captivating spell. (Tien Albert)

‘On My Own’ is ostensibly about a woman’s anger at a lovebombing man, who only wants to get in bed with her. But it’s really a sense of ennui at this eternal cycle that pervades in Lover1k​’s rhythmic, repeating chorus. Previous experience in guitar bands and the hardcore scene add voracity to the duo’s dance attitude. A chopped and screwed bass sample joins an almost didgeridoo-sounding stack of synths, warped beyond recognition. In the music video, singer Alice Roberts delivers her performance into an unplugged microphone. Considering how hard the crowd is dancing behind her, it’s forgivable nobody has noticed. (Tien Albert)

London-based World News puts a positive spin on the unknown in their new single, ​‘The Way It Goes.’ Layered with plucky phased guitars, bright choruses and Alex Evan’s lyricism constantly looking up, the band are on the optimistic side of things that can’t be controlled. This new offering really brings you close to the heart of the group and is accompanied by a stunning aviation themed video. With their album, ​‘In Purgatory’ announced and a tour on the horizon, everything is flying high for World News. (Donovan)

Tags: Neu, Neu Bulletin, Big Red, Bleech 9:3, Concrete Vehicles, Formal Sppeedwear, lifepath99, Listen, Lover1k, Watch, World News