Listen Up Northamptonshire: The Best New Music in Pop and Alternative

Recent news suggests that the streaming charts are dominated by music from years gone by, and whilst these songs are great and deserve airtime, it can mean that new music sometimes doesn’t get enough attention. So, if you’re searching for your next favourite track, look no further:

"Tiny Moves" is one of the latest singles from Bleachers, an indie band fronted by renowned writer/producer Jack Antonoff. It’s genuinely brilliant with its balance of upbeat positivity and chilled vocal. For a relatively short song, it manages to pack in plenty of build-up and such a catchy hook that you feel like you’ve been listening to it for hours. The final glittering rise to the chorus has a grandeur to it, but still remains grounded with its affirming ‘sha-la-la’ vocal – the final notes add a sax flourish which sums up the contrast between polished performance and relaxed studio session.

Jordan Rakei’s "Flowers" is a very chilled track, but is technically excellent. The simplicity of the opening piano chords is interrupted by a snare paradiddle, both of which continue through the first verse. The bridge brings a soulful feel, before the chorus soars into a string arrangement – one which makes itself appear as though the other instruments were only ever there to support it. The outro slows the beat, leaving only strings, piano and Rakei’s delicate vocal.

"Burning Down the House" is a new cover, by Paramore, of the Talking Heads hit, prefaced by the urgent whisper ‘Who got a match?’. Hayley Williams’ distinctive vocal is chaotic yet accomplished, stretching some notes and screaming others. Some of the guitar is influenced by Paramore’s recent album This Is Why, making the cover fresh and more personal, but the psychedelic swagger of the original remains.

Good Neighbours are an indie duo, and "Home" is their debut single. The first verse has a nice but gentle rhythm, which makes room for the pleading pitch of the bridge vocal and the crushing beat of the chorus. They have a style reminiscent of Tame Impala or MGMT, but their sound is new and exciting – they are a band to keep an eye on.

"Beautiful Things" is the recent chart entry for Benson Boone, beginning with a deceptively soft guitar which lets Boone’s soulful vocal dominate. Things change after the first verse though, with the arrival of an impatient, building rhythm which erupts into a rock chorus. The high pitch of the vocalisation here is comparable to a-ha’s Morten Harket perhaps, and the contrast between hard and soft makes for a nuanced tone which never tires its listener.

Jessie Ware deserves more attention. The Brit and Mercury award nominee is capable of writing and performing songs that can fill dancefloors (the remixes of "Free Yourself") or provide the background to a chilled night in – her previous two albums are both fantastic celebrations of disco, but include tracks that are incredibly beautiful ("Spotlight", "The Kill", "Remember Where You Are", "Lightning"). Her latest single, "Hello Love" belongs to this category as it is demonstrative of her mellower side – a relaxed baseline and choral vocal wave you into the track. The chorus incorporates some jazz elements, but none of these overwhelm the skill of Ware’s sweeping vocal, making this a fine example of her musical talent.