It's a quiet thing: The MOnday 31.03.25

Your weekly music update. This time: better joy drop an EP, Jack Rasmussen captures poignancy in song, Metro Line - The Video, and my thoughts on 'When Youth Fades Away'...

First up, hello to my new subscribers! You can expect a weekly new music update like this one, plus other things as often as I’m able to write them… Also, don’t forget my: Release tracker | Monthly playlists | Subscriber chat

Listen to this

New music… Check my latest monthly playlist for lots more!

better joy - heading into blue

Featuring ‘quiet thing’, one of my favourite songs of 2025 so far (and I’m sure it will stay that way), this fabulous six-track EP captures the better joy aesthetic perfectly: warm, personal and personable with multiple moments of fun. They’re on tour currently and I highly recommend getting a ticket if you can (try Seetickets) - I’ll see you at the London gig!

Jack Rasmussen - Roses

This man never fails to write really exceptionally well-crafted, poignant tunes. ‘Roses’ is no exception: masterful, heart-tugging guitar-centred songwriting — and deceptively simple. It’ll cut you to the core but ultimately uplift you.

Joey Collins - Alive

One of Nottingham’s dearest singer-songwriters has outdone himself here; an acoustic-guitar opening melds into something dramatically wider and euphoric.

ROE - The Moment’s Gone

In this song absolutely shimmering with beautiful restraint, ROE balances introspection with building determination. Loud Women say it really well in their review:

‘The Moment’s Gone’ captures the frustration of feeling stuck, like you’re watching your own life from the sidelines. But instead of wallowing, ROE spins it into something quietly anthemic—melancholy, yes, but also weirdly comforting.”

Watch this

Regular readers will remember my interview with India Arkin — but if you missed it, have a read (linked below).

Her song ‘Metro Line’ is a fabulous one, punchy and earnest, almost infuriatingly catchy, packed with catchy riffs and ultimately transitioning from 6/8 lilt to a joyous, extended 4/4 outro… And now, it’s time for the video, which takes the song and elevates it with imagery of the band, fronted by a ludicrously energetic India, being mobbed by a group of friends as the song builds. Perfect.

Read this

What kind of shameless music blogger would promote their own review for CLASH magazine here? Sorry, it’s me. Apologies aside, I would really like you to read what I spent quite some time crafting, namely my thoughts on the second studio album from Somebody’s Child, ‘When Youth Fades Away’.

I described it as “the hope-filled, anthemic record we all need – and above all…a thoroughly human one” — do you agree? You can read my review here.

Don’t miss this week

It will be April very soon (yep, I’ve a penchant for stating the obvious). As always, check the Release Tracker for more, but here I’m going to highlight:

• Tues 1st April: Definitely no April Fool — Hannah Mazey is releasing new single ‘I’ll Be Fine’; it’s more introspective than some of her previous work, but retains her trademark candid honesty

• Wed 2nd April sees a new one from Canadian indie guys Close Talker called ‘Crooked Line’ — described as a decade in the making, it will feature on their upcoming album ‘The Sprawl’

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