Neu Bulletin The Neu Bulletin (Meet Me @ The Altar, Wet Leg, Eden Rain and more!)

For anyone out there who might’ve dabbled in the odd pop punk club night back in the halcyon days of the early 2000s, the genre’s recent influx of newer fans may come as a bit of a shock. And yet, its resurgence feels both long overdue and, well, really bloody good. Leading the charge are Meet Me @ The Altar, with their latest offering ‘Feel A Thing’; a buoyant, energy-packed jam which pairs the sugary vocals of Edith Johnson with gnarly riffs and pounding drums. If this doesn’t have you headbanging even a little bit, something has most definitely gone wrong. (Sarah Jamieson)

Causing a stir right away, Isle of Wight newbies Wet Leg - aka pals Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers - not only rival Dry Cleaning in their slightly odd band name choices, but debut track ‘Chaise Longue’ is rife with the kind of witty lyricism over angular melodies that would make their peers proud. With particular gems coming with Mean Girls inspired “Is your muffin buttered? Would you like us to assign someone to butter your muffin?”, ‘Chaise Longue’ is an infectious and intriguing new bop, complete with some shining indie-flecked riffs, that’ll likely have you hooked on Wet Leg straight away. (Elly Watson)

The latest from Leeds-born Eden Rain goes out to anyone who’s ever tried to justify spending 80% of their monthly earnings on a studio flat the size of a large thimble because it’s LONDON! And think of all the things you can(‘t afford to) DO! “The city is hungry/ The city is bored” she laments over the kind of nocturnal, slick R&B-pop that nods equally back to streetwise early Sugababes and the more modern likes of Jorja Smith, before sucking it up, as we all eventually do: “Why would you wanna be anywhere else?” (Lisa Wright)

Kicking things off with the strong opening line “Everyone’s an arsehole”, bedroom pop duo Mumble Tide’s latest ‘Breakfast’ is sure to make an impact. A dreamy and beguiling new track, the pair marry sun-soaked melodies with saccharine vocals, describing their latest as about “accepting that you aren’t always going to see eye to eye with people and that it’s ok to be on different pages sometimes.” (Elly Watson)

‘Strawberry Milkshake’, the latest from Toronto noiseniks Bad Waitress is, very much unlike its flavoursome namesake, a raucous, grunge-tinged punk number that could fall apart at any moment - and in the best possible way. A cathartic listen - vocalist Kali’s yelling is both deliciously in-your-face and brimming with rage, crank it up to 11. (Emma Swann)

Clocking in at a whisper over two minutes, ‘Ambulance’ - led by Chicago band Bnny’s vocalist Jess Viscius - manages to quietly devastate in less time than it takes to make a cup of tea. Cutting to the core in one emotional couplet (“When I see an ambulance I close my eyes/ If I can’t see, then no one dies”), it’s proof that, sometimes, simplicity is key: a hushed vocal, some atmospheric nods to Mazzy Star, and half a dozen lines of heartache. Within lies magic. (Lisa Wright)

Tags: Bad Waitress, Bnny, Eden Rain, Meet Me @ The Altar, Mumble Tide, Wet Leg, Listen, Features, Neu, Neu Bulletin