Exit Calm

We're On Our Own

Exit Calm will soon find that the sentiment echoed in the title of this incredible single is no longer true. Any fan of alternative music, assuming that their ears are in full working order, will appreciate the band's intensity, ear for a melody and ability to create life-affirming music that sucks the listener into a delicious vortex of swirling, effects-laden emotion. Each band member puts in a masterful performance, and guitarist Rob Marshall fully deserves the accolades he has received for his atmospheric guitar work that forms the core of Exit Calm's mountainous sound. 'The past and the future don't mean a thing,' sings vocalist Nicky Smith during a shimmering, stripped down interlude. I'd disagree - Exit Calm's future could mean a great deal to a potentially huge new fan base.

Jon Cooper

Daniel Land & The Modern Painters

Within the Boundaries

An adventurous single from Daniel Land & The Modern Painters. 'Within the Boundaries' is a wonderful attempt at the often over complicated genre of epic Indie rock. Bridging the gaps somewhere between Explosions in the Sky and Sigur Ros, you can easily imagine this track featuring on all sorts of BBC documentaries without ever losing any credibility. 'Benjamin's Room continues the theme with dreamy vocals and serenading guitar licks. Relaxing and therapeutic, listening to the ambient swirl of strings and synths takes you to another planet. It's like listening to The Verve but without any of the guilt.

Nick Sell

John Gillies

My Sunrise

My expectations of this single were, based on the arrogant title and slightly creepy black and white close up on the cover, not great. Some self-involved ltosser singing about feelings, I thought. Gross. Indeed, on the first listen I smugly wrote it off as sentimental nonsense with rubbish lyrics and too much maraca. I scoffed as he opened with the profound observation that 'Somebody's waiting for something' before going on to admit that he doesn't know what they're waiting for. On repeated listens though, I noticed that his attitude is far from arrogant. Gillies sounds like a little boy reading his poetry out in class for the first time, his wide-eyed naivety a life-raft in a swelling, saccharine sea. He's really going to have to pull himself together though, because careers in music aren't built on pity.

Charlotte Chester

Dalmatian Rex and the Eigentones

Everyone is a Robot

Sometimes you have to just hold up your hands and admit that you're lost for words. I imagine that fans of more 'conventional' music, amongst whose ranks I would probably count myself, could come up with a few choice adjectives to describe this track. But, in the interests of fairness, we must make allowances for the kind of people who enjoy the jingles on CBBC, or who perhaps count a member of DRatE amongst their offspring. To fill you in, this is a song about aliens landing in West Yorkshire, much to the interest of the locals. The aliens decide to replace the entire population of Earth with robots, with the exception of the vocalist and his monkey, who ingeniously avoid the same fate by covering their heads with tin foil. The events unfold in spoken word format, over a piano track that sounds like 'Lean On Me'. If you can get your head around that and find some enjoyment, then I commend you, and hope that the men in white coats take you somewhere nice.

Jon Cooper

David Gibb

The English Retreat

'The English Retreat' is blissful slice of good old-fashioned jovial, quirky, British pop music. Verging somewhere in-between The Coral, Dexy's Midnight Runners, The Small Faces and Mika this song is the most cheekily delightful thing I've heard in a long time. The term 'lovely' as an adjective doesn't quite do it justice but will have to do for now. It bounds with a certain dynamic energy and has the most endearing break your heart vocals that you've heard for a while. Never could a song about leaving England raise such a smile. Long may David Gibb deliver his own uniquely interpreted radio friendly banter for years to come.

Nick Sell

Last Man Down

Killing Time

Last Man Down peddle a sound not a million miles away from Fall Out Boy or Panic At The Disco. Strong vocals throughout the A-side draw your attention to lyrics it's easy to relate to and the meticulous attention to detail of the production showcases the band's ability to write an infectious pop song. The B-side, meanwhile, is a cover of the Sugababes hit 'About You Now' which isn't too dissimilar to the original.

Emma Crichton

Laura Critchlow

Extraordinary

Think Hannah Montana for a slightly older audience or Ashlee Simpson with less shouty vocals and you'll get an idea of what to expect from Laura Critchlow. This upbeat debut single is the kind of fare peddled by 'girl next door' artists appealing to pre-pubescent teens; the song is so derivative of Avril Lavigne that it leaves me unsure as to whether Laura Critchlow can be a success with such an unoriginal sound.

Emma Crichton

To The Bones

Sharkies Bone Symphony

To The Bones are possessed by their own music. Gritty guitars and pounding drums, layered beneath striking riffs and Lemmy-esque vocals leave no room for compromise. And it's impossible not to be taken on their ride. Supported by a video featuring 50litres of blood red paint and a horde of whip-wielding ladies, 'Sharkies Bone Symphony' will penetrate its way into every skin cell of your body. With undoubted parallels to Motorhead's passionate vocals and a rawness that resembles Nirvana's 'Bleach', it's a melodic rock song that deserves a sweaty mosh-pit. But experimental hooks and a pulsating rhythm make the song all the more convincing. 'Sharkies Bone Symphony' will be available at all digital music download sites, accompanied by a four-page electronic booklet of artwork.

Sarah L. Poole

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