W/e 17/04/26 - The Itch, Gretel, Holly Humberstone, Tigercub, Palma Violets

Congrats to The Itch - our winners, they have the TOTW, sit at #3 this year and are awarded a very rare thing – a ‘9’ from Adam. Only the 2nd he’s dished out (can he remember the first, from Nov 2024 when he was still a fresher).

Decent effort from Gretal as well, in at #6.

Erol has the 😊 with his best set of scores for more than a year. Andy takes the ☹️.

Palma Violets were a first listen for a few, and say hi to OMD and The Klaxons on the classics.

Guy

Gretel – I assumed yet another female pop act. But no, some great indie music. Catchy tunes with some great riffs (Fire Blooming Trees and Unbloom are great examples). The whole thing had some teeth with hints of Wolf Alice. Not sure about the lyrics to the opener though… - 7.8

Holly Humberstone – As pop goes, this is decent – elevated by a mix of raw synth lines and organs running through a number of tracks. But Christ alive, this isn’t what we should be listening to at Reading. I fear we’ll see dancers on the stage… - 7

The Itch – You can tell they been heavily influenced by LCD Soundsystem but there’s more to this than a straight copy. This is a good example of where experimental music actually works! Got a raw 80s feel in places (no bad thing) and foot tappingly good throughout. – 7.9

Tigercub – Hmm. I’m afraid this just sounded like Rock landfill. Many of the songs felt like musical ‘painting by numbers’. Like they’d deconstructed classic rock tunes and made their own versions. Not for me. – 5.5

TOTW – Space in the Cab – The Itch

Palma Violets – An absolute classic debut. I didn’t realise how much like The Doors it sounds – albeit with a more punky feel. Some amazing Jingle Jangle guitar too :-). Best of Friends is such a brilliant tune. I’ll be giving this a few more spins this week – 9

Sam

Gretel : she’s talented for sure . Some flashes of brilliance here: 7

Holly Humberstone : Bits were ok but some of it was jarring over cutesy nonsense. 4

The Itch : bloody marvellous clever stuff this was . They will rip it up live : 8

Tigercub : not sure which album Guy was listening to but I loved this . There are hints of Muse here but no problem with that . I noted 4 possible TOTW from this . Excellent. 8.7

TOTW : hard to choose between the Tigercub ones but I’ll go for Breaking Out

Palma Violets : I’m welling up here . God this sounded fantastic while the world goes to shit . Full of life and made me dance around the kitchen . What a debut . 9.2

Andy

Gretel - i really enjoyed this although I was a bit worried we were in for some Last Dinner Party style madrigals at the beginning. Luckily she soon settled into a Karen O impression that was rather good. I don’t if we’ll hear another mashup of Fake Plastic Trees and Heart Shaped Box any time soon 6.5

Holly Humberstone - Liked this a lot. She’s got a cracking voice and the tunes are good to go with it. Reckon she’ll only get better too 7.5

The Itch - All over the shop electronic stuff but the enjoyable bits are a lot of fun 6

Tigercub - Can’t work out if this is Temu Muse or Temu Mansun. Neither is anything to be proud of 4

TotW - Beauty Pageant by Holly Humberstone

Palma Violets - So so indie music, with a couple of genuinely poor tracks at the end. I’d not heard this before and don’t think I’ve been missing anything 5

Simon

Gretel: really liked Head of the Slug Club we reviewed in 2023 and thought this was ace as well - reminded me most of Florence & the Machine but without the bombast and sheen, and there are shades of Wolf Alice in the likes of Maybelline. Has a slightly raw and scuzzy feel but that's not a criticism, and the vocals are great. 8.5

Holly Humberstone: don't mind girl pop if it has a bit of life about it or offers something different, but this was just lightweight and insipid fluff - Die Happy and Drunk Dialling in particular are ghastly. 3

The Itch: cracking blast of grimy dance-punk, LCD Soundsystem obviously springs to mind but there were some 80s synth elements in there as well. Great debut. 8

Tigercub: mundane and unoriginal heavy rock - nothing of any interest here. 5.5

TotW: Gretel - Laurali

Palma Violets: didn't get on with this I'm afraid - struck me as one of those overhyped London bands that are all mouth and no trousers (see the Libertines). Andy is right, last two tracks are terrible. 5

Phil (OG)

Gretel 7.7

Excellent lofi indie rock with a charismatic singer. I can only surmise that Andy’s LDP comparison has to do with Gretel’s posh voice. It’s not the sort of voice I associate with indie guitar vibes but it works rather well. She and her band don’t really sound like anybody else just now and that’s generally a good thing. I’m just disappointed she’s not in the line-up for the Great Escape. I’d definitely go and see her.

Holly Humberstone 7.3

Really enjoyed this. Unpretentious, straightforward pop done well. She’s got the voice for it and the arrangements are simple and unfussy. Stardom beckons!

The Itch 6

The Itch are playing the Great Escape. They play synth-based uber-pop and, to be fair, they do write catchy tunes. But it’s a style of music that I just don’t connect with. So I’ll be, er, scratching them from my list of must-sees.

Tigercub 6.4

Heavy indie. Slightly better than landfill standard but fairly uninspiring.

TOTW – Gretel – Darkness, be my friend

Classic

Palma Violets 7

Decent indie, with some good tunes and bags of energy, and the use of organ gives a bit of depth to their sound.

Phil (New)

Gretel 7.8

Really like this punchy, energetic sound. The opening track was great.

Holly Humberstone 6.9

She has a lovely voice and the album was an enjoyable pop listen. Nothing really stood out.

The Itch 7.1

Really liked some of the musical elements of this on, my kind of electronic thing. Some of it was a bit whacky and not to keen on the vocals.

Tigercub 6.6

Didn't really get on with this, was a heavy listen.

TOTW – Gretel – Squish

Palma Violets 7.5

Embarrasingly I didn't realise I was listening to the classic, thought it was a new album! Really good album not heard them before, looks like they didn't last long.

Mark

Gretel - a more indie guitar version of Florence & The Machine, stands out as a more than above average example of the genre - 7.5

Holly Humberstone - very average and forgettable, indistinguishable from so may other similar acts with this sound around these days. Most of it is just tapping into that whole Taylor heartbreak vibe that so may others have tried to copy the past few years - 4.5

The Itch - all very early noughties LCD / Rapture indie dance sound clash, very much enjoyed this - 8

Tigercub - earnest gloomy thumping which just left me a little cold to be honest - 5

TOTW - Space In The Cab, by The Itch

Annette

Gretel: 8

Holly Humberstone: 7

The Itch: 8.5

Tigerclub: 6.5

TOTW: Space in the cab by The Itch

Classic: Palma Violets - 8

Paul

Gretel (8)

Excellent, enjoyed it more each listen. Liked her voice and enjoyed the attitude.

Holly Humberstone (5.5)

Nice voice and nice enough pop, just not all that interesting.

The Itch (7.6)

Really enjoyable dark synthy dance indie. Not totally sure about the talky bits, but didn’t mind them too much.

Tigercub (6)

More than a hint of muse in here at times. Bit samey and not hugely interesting.

TOTW - Gretal, Darkness, be my friend

Palms Violets (7.5)

Largely passed me by on release. But enjoyed that overall, decent bit of indie.

Carlo

Gretel – 7.4

A strong album with a strong voice accompanied by strong selection of tracks.

Holly Humberstone – 7.1

Not one I’d normally admit to, but this actually went down quite easily.

The Itch – 7.2

Interesting sound with hints of ’80s and ’90s synth coming through.

Tigercub – 6.1

A bit too guitar-heavy for me, although some softer moments came through.

TOTW: Gretel – Darkness Be My Friend

Classic – Palma Violets – 8.1

I’m sorry to admit I haven’t really listened to much of Palma Violets, even though they pop up here a lot. Really enjoyed this – great choice.

Justin

Gretel - A found her voice a bit grating at the start, but overall nice rock indie sound. 6.9

Holly Humberstone - Generally don't like this type of stuff but after a few listens her voice grew on me and some good tunes like Beauty Pagaent. 6.8

The Itch - Loud electronic beats. Liked a lot. 7.7

Tigercub - Yes very Muse like but that's good. Got plenty of listens this week.7.3

TOTW. The Itch - Space in the cab.

Palma Violets - By passed me at the time. Very Vaccines like. More than landfill but probably won't get any further listens. 6.5

Erol

Gretel – a dollop of wolf Alice and The Mysterines, blended with more than a decent helping of a fledgling Florence and the Machine. A very accomplished record for a 22 year old. 7.5

Holly Humberstone - very pleasant indie pop from a rising star. She is clearly talented. The final track, Beauty Pageant, is captivating. 7

The Itch - much of this is excellent. A great debut. Aux Romanticiser is a banging tune they should be proud of. 8.2

Tigercub - there’s nothing wrong with a large helping of power guitars, and this delivers this in bucket loads. Very Muse-like at times with a splash of Royal Blood.

One of the most exciting bands I’ve heard in a good while. 8.4

TOTW - My Paper Heart, Tigercub

Palma Violets - I so get why Sam finds this uplifting. For me it was slightly less so, as I’m not so much a fan of this type of indie. Best of Friends, the opener, is a cracker though. 7

Adam

Gretel – top vocals, upbeat then melancholic and back round again. 8

Holly Humberstone - another top voice this week, but with thick slather of pop. Not my cup of tea but some good music 7

The Itch - top indie dance music, takes me back to my clubbing days. Weird, distorted, top draw. 9

Tigercub - Noisy, grungy in your face rock. Not brilliant but good enough 7

TOTW - The Itch - No more sprechgesang

Palma Violets - Top stuff and a nice journey down memory lane. 13 years ago, gulp. 8

Matt

Gretel - 7.1

Holly Humberstone - 6.4

The Itch - 7.8

Tigercub - 6.6

TOTW - No More Sprechgesang, The Itch

Jim

Gretel 8

Much of this was just fantastic , infectious indie rock with a handful of TOTW contenders.

Holly Humberstone 6.5

At times this has Lorde - Solar Power subtlety to it . Some of it was a little lightweight though

The Itch 8

Great fun, inventive with plenty of LCD about then which is always gonna be ok with me . Space In The Cab was a cracking

Tigercub 6.5

Enjoyed the previous one more. The Muse flavours are decent but it lacked standouts

TOTW: Gretel - Fire blooming trees

Palma Violets 8

Cracking debut of scuzzy Libertines esque tracks, with a big dollop of The Doors influence thrown in