Single Review: ‘Borrowed Time’ – ladylike
Single Review: ‘Borrowed Time’ – Ladylike It’s dreamy, rustic and folky, there’s a lingering nostalgia [Support ladylike on Bandcamp] By Niamh Hughes 3 October 2026 Ladylike are so beautifully poignant. The Brighton-based quartet’s new single ‘Borrowed Time’ is no different to their past releases, proving equally as affecting. I saw an interview online where vocalist/guitarist Georgie Butler recounted a time when they attempted to cover fun or happy songs, and how it didn’t sound quite right. I remember watching this and thinking that this is no bad thing. Some of the greatest bands are those that know how to get sadness right. Whether intentional or not, the song ‘Borrowed Time’ achieves this. It’s dreamy, rustic and folky, there’s a lingering nostalgia to the track. It feels very ‘coming of age’, not just within the lyrics, loosely inspired by losing contact with someone as time passes, but also within the sound itself. Vendy Palkovičová The rising and falling between momentous rushes of slowcore and the stock-stillness of folk mimic that swelling and settling of real life. There’s something bittersweet about those shifts, like the feeling where you suddenly stop and realise how much time has passed. It’s a reflective song, one which you’d listen to lying down flat on the floor, wherever that may be, whether staring at ceiling or at the sky. Recorded with producer Balázs Altsach in a renovated chapel studio in Pembrokeshire, the band tracked the song together in the same room, recording, mixing and mastering it within three weeks. You can hear that immediacy. It doesn’t have that overly pristine sheen, that overproduction that can sometimes make a recording feel strangely distant. Instead, everything feels exposed and raw. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkY35Ngs64s Its accompanying video captures that same feeling. Shot with the grainy intimacy of VHS, it feels deliberately unpolished, like a home movie set out with the intention of preserving memories. Ahead of Ladylike’s biggest headline tour yet, ‘Borrowed Time’ proves that the best songs do not have to be dramatic with their handling of emotions to linger. It’s exposed, it’s elegiac and for me, it’s one of those tracks that quietly hangs around. You Might Also Like Recent Posts
Single Review: ‘Through Your Teeth’ – The Slow Country
Single Review: ‘Through Your Teeth’ – The Slow Country Tenderness reverberates throughout the track By Ewan Bourne 23 September 2026 Manchester-based seven-piece The Slow Country have spent the past few years quietly carving out their own space between ‘slacker folk’ and alternative rock. With mandolin, layered guitars and a distinctive blend of voices at the heart of their sound, the band create arrangements that feel both expansive and deeply intimate. Their music carries a kind of booming tenderness, moments of soaring instrumentation sit alongside close, conversational storytelling, creating songs that feel personal while still having a sense of scale. There’s a looseness and warmth to their sound, but beneath it sits a careful attention to arrangement and detail, a deep breath in, usually followed by an even bigger breath let go. Fresh from standout festival appearances at Green Man and Truck Festival, The Slow Country continue to build a collaborative world around their music: one rooted between both Manchester and London, shaped by the people and places around them, but ultimately born from something much more universal. The Slow Country – Photo by @heartsh6kr Finding their feet within a sound that is becoming increasingly their own, The Slow Country’s latest single, ‘Through Your Teeth’, builds on the momentum of perhaps their most-listened-to track, ‘Firing Line’. At almost six minutes long, the song unfolds gradually, moving between a story of connection, a friendship strained by distance, and the uncertainty of knowing what to say and when to say it, when something matters most. That tenderness reverberates throughout the track. A sense of indecision hangs between the notes, slowly giving way to spiralling strings and gritty guitar crescendos. Rather than rushing towards its conclusion, ‘Teeth’ allows these emotions to gather and swell, giving the song a feeling of both restraint and release. More than some of their earlier work, ‘Teeth’ feels perfectly at home within the sonic world The Slow Country are beginning to mould around themselves. Continuing their collaboration with producer and songwriter Bill Ryder-Jones, the band have managed to tame the weight of seven often-warring instruments into a uniquely packed ensemble. There’s a sense of collective optimism running through The Slow Country’s newest track ,a feeling spurred on by the bands emphatic appearances this summer, a resounding energy, that despite their musical brilliance, Slow country aren’t writing songs because they’ve been told to, but because they genuinely really mean it. This feeling of shared purpose gives their latest single its warmth, and its momentum, turning what is an intimate story into something that feels communal: a moment shared between the band and the listener. Although this new track is arguably the band’s most anthemic one yet, at its core it is a much more intimate exploration of the thoughts and feelings that can stay with you long after something, or someone, has got under your skin. Speaking on BBC 6 Music earlier this week, guitarist and vocalist Charlie Smith described the track as an attempt to “regain control” of those lingering feelings, particularly the uncertainty and frustration that can come with them. `That idea is reflected in the balance of The Slow Country’s sound entirely. The push and pull between folk and rock works naturally alongside the band’s introspective lyricism , allowing the quieter, more reflective moments of their songwriting to sit against a much heavier instrumental backdrop. Guitars, strings and layered vocals gradually build in intensity, giving the lyrics greater emotional weight while retaining the warmth that lies at the centre of the song. The result is a track that can feel both personal and expansive, capturing the band’s ability to move between the softer edges of folk and the fuller, more forceful sound of rock. Released on the 23rd of September alongside their longtime collaboration with Manchester label Heist or Hit, The Slow Country’s new single, ‘Teeth’, aims to bolster the brilliance of their discography, before a string of gigs alongside the bands Swim Deep and Gently Tender in the run-up to Christmas. If you haven’t already The Slow Country are a band you should check out, as were almost bound to be hearing more from the seven piece throughout the rest of 2026. You Might Also Like Recent Posts
Album Review: ‘It Goes On’ – Westside Cowboy
Album Review: ‘It Goes On’ – Westside Cowboy A technically brilliant and creatively fantastic piece of art By Cara Rawson 25 August 2026 Westside Cowboy, a band hailing from Manchester, have recently become the acclaimed indie band of the city. An opinion which has now only been expedited by the release of new album ‘It Goes On’. ‘It Goes On’ is the kind of album that makes you fall in love with the beauty of music again. The melodies are concise and filled with Aoife Anson O’Connell’s unique vocal harmonies. The guitars sound fresh and warrant a modern touch. The album is an ode to feeling too young for the world but tired enough to know where you are. The lyrics of ‘It Goes On’ don’t focus on being poetry; they don’t need to. They feel like an echo of the world, there is no grandiose meaning hidden between the words. They are exactly as they appear on the tin. It’s an honest expression from a band wanting to make something nice to listen to. It’s a clear, well-spoken album. Photo by Clementine Schneidermann ‘It Goes On’ is a marker of change for indie music in this decade. The fuzz and muffled sound of the rhythm section has moved to the bass while the guitar has become polished and melodic. The album holds its genre of alternative indie without trying to prove it. The drums maintain a soft percussion which works incredibly well with the driving bass. The guitars lead the build-ups and vocals accentuate in all the perfect places. All instruments play their part and converse with each other. It’s an album that entails a sense of togetherness. The soft intro of ‘Kick Stones (The Boys)’ with the electric guitar, vocals providing a catchy melody and Aoife Anson O’Connell showing her voice in perfect detail. The drums iconic rolls and fills create a song that nearly requires clapping along to. It’s a big sound that feels like you’re in the room with the band and an audience. Westside Cowboy have well and truly proven that they deserve every single one of their flowers within this album release. They have created a technically brilliant and creatively fantastic piece of art. You Might Also Like Recent Posts
Single Review: ‘Pugh’ – Troutflies
Single Review: ‘Pugh’ – Troutflies Candid ruminations drift from one thought to the next, not settling for too long By Eli Callingham 16 August 2026 ‘Pugh’ begins with a simple premise of a church-turned-nightclub in York and a loose connection to the singer’s surname before dissolving into something more hazy and surreal. Over a bed of jangly guitar and warbly melodica tones, Reuben Pugh’s stream-of-consciousness lyrics drift between fragments of memory, observation and seemingly disconnected thoughts. What begins as an anecdote becomes something closer to a captured reverie. York-via-Leeds duo Troutflies, comprised of Reuben Pugh on guitar and Guy Godivala on melodica occupy a whimsical corner of DIY outsider pop, steeped in the eccentricity and dry humour of British folk and psychedelia, constructing their own strange little world. Photo by Rhani Mahabir-Stokes Having recently shared stages with American home recording pioneer Linda Smith, alongside fellow experimentalists Glasshouse Red Spider Mite and MPTL Microplastics, the duo now turn towards their second album ‘Wild Troutflies’, out 23rd via Leeds’ emerging powerhouse label Private Regcords. Speaking on the record, Reuben says: “This album is a collection of songs that act as a placeholder for the year I’ve had. I was working a job that meant I had to be up at 6 AM, often with no sleep, so it’s all about working, being tired and missing people”. This sentiment bleeds into ‘Pugh’, where candid ruminations drift from one thought to the next, not settling for too long. You Might Also Like Recent Posts
The New Folk
← Back The New Folk Listen to some of the best new tracks from some of the greatest up and coming folk artists. {{ reviewsTotal }}{{ options.labels.singularReviewCountLabel }} {{ reviewsTotal }}{{ options.labels.pluralReviewCountLabel }} {{ options.labels.newReviewButton }} {{ userData.canReview.message }} You Might Also Like Recent Posts
Video Interview: Truthpaste
Video Interview: Chatting Music with Truthpaste Alternative,Folk And Acoustic We caught the gang from Truthpaste after their set at our TGE stage. We chatted about who they wanted to see at the festival, what they’ve been listening to and the artists they think deserve more attention. Full playlist of their suggestions here. You Might Also Like Recent Posts
Truthpaste Recommends
. ← Back Artist Playlist,TNAM.UK Playlist Truthpaste A playlist featuring artists chosen tracks and our TNAM staff picks from the experimental folk group Truthpaste. Alternative,Folk And Acoustic {{ reviewsTotal }}{{ options.labels.singularReviewCountLabel }} {{ reviewsTotal }}{{ options.labels.pluralReviewCountLabel }} {{ options.labels.newReviewButton }} {{ userData.canReview.message }} You Might Also Like Recent Posts
TGE Presents Truthpaste, Bert & Ninush @ The Old Blue Last
TGE PRESENTS TRUTHPASTE, BERT & NINUSH PHOTOS By Elijah Callingham 27 April 2026 Thursday 26th March marked the third of The Great Escape’s pre-festival showcases and consisted of an indie/alt/folk focused lineup. Lots of guitars, gentle vocals and beautiful songwriting. You can view the photos we took, listen to the artists, and read our thoughts on them below. Ninush Nina Lim has played with some of the best British artists out there as a violinist but her solo project Ninush explores a more gentle sound, reminiscent of Regina Spektor. Bert Brighton artist Bert played his recently released track ‘Bump’. On the night we spoke to him about it as well as his other favourite songs, which you can view over on our Instagram. Truthpaste Headliners Truthpaste have really been making their way up in the world recently. They work beautifully as an ensemble, ending the night on a high note.
Beth Jones Recommends
Artist Playlist : Beth Jones Folk,Folk Pop,Indie A playlist featuring music made or selected by folk singer Beth Jones, plus some related suggestions from the TNAM team. Watch the full interview over on our Instagram! TNAM.UK Playlist {{ reviewsTotal }}{{ options.labels.singularReviewCountLabel }} {{ reviewsTotal }}{{ options.labels.pluralReviewCountLabel }} {{ options.labels.newReviewButton }} {{ userData.canReview.message }} You Might Also Like Recent Posts
Artist Playlist: hey, nothing
Artist Playlist : hey, nothing Folk,Folk Pop,Indie,Indie Pop,Rock Music from/selected by/inspired by hey, nothing – with help from the TNAM team. Find our original interview from Pitchfork festival over on our Instagram! TNAM.UK Playlist {{ reviewsTotal }}{{ options.labels.singularReviewCountLabel }} {{ reviewsTotal }}{{ options.labels.pluralReviewCountLabel }} {{ options.labels.newReviewButton }} {{ userData.canReview.message }} You Might Also Like Recent Posts