Everything is OK, really: The MOnday 19.05.25

Alessi Rose, Briscoe, Nova Twins, Sianon, Soot Sprite, and the cheeky energy of My First Time...

The MOnday will be taking a two-week break after today—next instalment on 9th June! Until then, have a look back through the archives and don’t forget my: Release tracker | Monthly playlists | Subscriber chat

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Alessi Rose - Same Mouth

Alessi Rose combines the best elements of all the big name pop artists with a close-to-home relatability. Here, she plays with a popular theme and gives it her own twist; it’s on-the-nose honest and a classically-crafted pop song, too.

Briscoe - Hold On

You can find Briscoe in the dictionary under Americana folk-rock: it’s a legendary sound and they deliver it very well. And ‘Hold On’ is a satisfying song with lush piano, rhythmic guitars, tight vocals and banjo (of course) all working together in sweet and beautiful harmony.

Nova Twins - Piranha

No one does genre-blending quite like Nova Twins; here they rely again on their tried-and-tested warped bass and heavy drums plus aggressive vocals recipe… Sure, it’s nothing new for them, but it’s irresistible all the same, and they wear their style with unshakeable confidence.

Sianon - New Number

This hazy, carefully-paced lost friendship anthem from Melbourne-based Sianon absolutely hits you in the heart, head and gut. It’s thoughtful, minimal and simply demands you stop and listen.

Soot Sprite - Wield Your Hope Like A Weapon (Album)

An album which finds the special ground between shoegaze, emo intensity and uplifting indie rock. Opening with the powerful ‘Days After Days’ and moving into ‘All My Friends Are Depressed’ (the title is taken from the superb opening line), the record develops into something broad and varied which showcases the fruit of hard work and an intense passion.

Watch this

I was in Sheffield for Get Together Festival on Saturday: one of the stand-out sets came from My First Time. It was a blast. This video of their latest single ‘Much Better’ gives a little hint of their energy — if you get the chance to see them in person, though, you must take it!

Read this

From last week, my interview with Maya Lakhkani is worthy of another push here…

Don’t miss this week (and next)

As always, check the Release Tracker and be sure not to miss these releases in the next couple of weeks:

• On Fri 23rd, Amble are releasing a gorgeous album named ‘Reverie’, and Glaswegian alt-rockers Vanderlye offer us an EP (‘The Reckoning’ )

• On Sat 24th, we have ‘I’m Losing You’ from rising independent pop singer-songwriter Rosie Gault

• The following week sees a superb electro-pop anthem from Nottingham’s Lucy Crisp (‘Maze’) and a really special track from a band called Fold which carries a hugely important message: ‘Resistance, Refusal, Ridicule’.

Don’t forget my: Release tracker | Monthly playlists | Subscriber chat