The fourth instalment of the Seven Doors Hotel bandwagon titled ‘The Arcade’ is unleashed on Snaxville Recordings. The man behind the moniker is Alexander Lindbäck who turns in a heavy shift having written, produced and played the majority of the instruments, with additional support coming from Henrik Maarud (Amund Maarud) who is also responsible for mixing the songs making up this latest release. ‘The Arcade’ embraces an alt. country sound that is blowing in from the American Southwest rather than the colder climes of Norway where, in fact, this album originates. There is a definite sinking feeling of loss at the heart of ‘The Arcade’, with not much optimism in the pipeline either (‘My Back To The Future’), as songs dwell on what might have been (‘That Day’) to the downright perplexed emotions running through the wonderfully aching country lilt of ‘Sliding Bar’ and more conscious ‘Gone Again’. There is an edginess to album opener ‘Go With You’, reflected to great effect with keys and guitars that eventually give way to the song’s frustrations when the feelings are not reciprocated. Seven Doors Hotel is not all about sweetness and light, however, due to a few honest confessions of their own during ‘Hell’s Hot’ ‘”people acting stupid like they just don’t care, maybe that’s why we’re f****** it up” and when retreading the steps of ‘Sliding Bar’ that brings a more rounded and definitely compelling experience when listening to ‘The Arcade’.

One couldn’t move without hearing the ubiquitous ‘Chelsea Dagger’ a few years back from Glasgow’s The Fratellis due to its infectious pop hooks seemingly infiltrating every pub, club and football stadium in the land. Little wonder that The Fratellis is still a going concern as they have a knack of crafting short, sharp and, more times than not, irresistible indie blues rock numbers with an occasional sprinkling of pop dust as it’s business as usual with ‘We Need Medicine’. This time around there is a real sense of determination to wake the nation from its slumber with the rolling rhythm of ‘Halloween Blues’ – “When you’ve got the Halloween blues it’s best to complain, give them a stare and you’ll keep them awake” – suitably followed by the attempted sprint through ‘This Old Ghost Town’ with its pent up emotions played out via driving keyboards. Recent single ‘Seven Nights Seven Days’ lets in a little country twang but fails to lift the disillusionment felt, whereas ‘Whisky Saga’ is trademark ‘Fratellis with its jaunty rhythm. ‘Rock N Roll Will Break Your Heart’ soars to another level which, on this sort of form, can also save your soul. Without perhaps knowing it themselves, The Fratellis possess all the ingredients to counter any persistent ailments because third album in, ‘We Need Medicine’ is quite simply the perfect remedy.

Not a complete retrospective of Roy Orbison and his work, but a well-timed re-release of a previous collection given out during the late 80s which has proven difficult to find. ‘In Dreams: Greatest Hits’ is now issued as a single CD encompassing all 19 tracks of the previous double album release and with the added bonus of being finely tuned in the sound department. Although there is much to enthuse over here, ‘In Dreams: Greatest Hits’ features re-recorded versions of Orbison’s original outputs, focusing on the dark emotional ballads ‘It’s Over’, ‘Crying’ and ‘Running Scared’ as well as obvious inclusions with the rock ‘n’ roll-lite ‘Oh, Pretty Woman’ and infectious ‘Dream Baby’. To our chagrin, however, there is a lack of material from Orbison’s work with Sun Records, despite a punchy version of ‘Claudette’ and impressive retake of ‘Ooby Dooby’. The inclusion of ‘In Dreams’ makes up for any deficiencies however, evoking memories of David Lynch’s ‘Blue Velvet’ of the late 80s and equal to its original. ‘Up Town’ opens the rock ‘n’ roll door once more at a strolling pace of jangling piano keys and minimal brass before breaking into a near sweat with ‘Mean Woman Blues’. ‘In Dreams: Greatest Hits’ is a timely reissue for those seeking instant gratification when it comes to Roy Orbison’s more well-known material and one that does not stray from its overall intentions.

Having tussled for pole position, there was simply no separating the two slices of garage-infused punk rock courtesy of Glasgow’s The Creeping Ivies as latest single ‘What Would Joey Ramone Do? / Ramona Wolf’ comes issued as a double A side single. A wise decision indeed as lead vocalist Becca Bomb gets all riled over the state of modern living during ‘What Would Joey Ramona Do?’, ably supported in her frustrations with a primitive pounding rhythm supplied by Duncan Destruction. ‘Ramona Wolf’ is wailing at the heavens and powered by similar rhythmic beats, albeit performed at a slower tempo, and bringing to mind the likes of Patti Smith and PJ Harvey as it wades through some very murky waters. With an album scheduled for next year, it will be interesting to see what impact The Creeping Ivies will have on a wider and possibly unsuspecting audience. One thing is for certain, however, they will definitely ruffle a few feathers along the way.

It seems an eternity since critical appraisal was bestowed on Lissie’s debut album ‘Catching A Tiger’ but the wait has certainly been worth it as ‘Back To Forever’ is bristling with energy and a little more robust than its predecessor. There is also a maturity to the songwriting as there is more of a consistency overall, such is the depth in quality ranging from the borderline country-rock ballad ‘They All Want You’ to the pounding rhythm and confessional ‘Shameless’ as both songs refer to the superficialities associated with fame. ‘Sleepwalking’ is straight out of Stevie Nicks’ handbook with its pop-rock catchiness. ‘The Habit’ and ‘Further Away (Romance Police)’ also get in on the act with their fleeting resemblances to Fleetwood Mac; the latter of which impresses the most with its brooding attitude and climatic finale. ‘I Bet On You’ is further evidence of the full-bodied approach adopted by Lissie, and all the better for it, as it is one of those songs that possesses a slow release when it comes to familiarity that will creep up on you days later with its infectious hooks hammering away at your senses as it is simply that good! ‘Cold Fish’ is an oddity whereby it works on certain levels but sounds clunky on other occasions whereas ‘Can’t Take It Back’ lands on more familiar turf with its driving pop and a reminder that Lissie can forge a path along such lines if the desire becomes too great. There is none of the second album blues when it comes to ‘Back To Forever’ as it is a resounding success that makes it 2- 0 to Lissie.

Having found a home with the ever productive Boo Hewerdine and his label Haven Records via Operando, Suburban Dirts express the homeliness of their new surroundings by drumming up a second album steeped in a rich quality of folk and alt. country goodness. It would be equally wise to suggest ‘A Tiny Little Island In The Big Bad Sea’ is far from basking in a glow of warm sentiments, rather the opposite in fact, as the foundations of one or two relationships appear to have crumbled long ago with the deeply entrenched sadness of ‘You Kill Me’ being a prime example. There is faint optimism swirling around the Dylan-esque ‘Any Other Morning’ that gets swept along at some considerable pace before grinding to a halt with the honest confessions of ‘One’.  There is, however, a knowingness about ‘A Tiny Little Island…’ as Suburban Dirts is far from craving a shoulder to cry on as reflected by ‘Occasionally Drunk’ with its roots embedded in a country barroom and ‘Queen O’Pity’ that once more gives a respective nod to Bob Dylan. Suburban Dirts might be residing on a tiny island but their songs are deserved of a much bigger stage.