REVIEWS | New Music Discoveries: Alt/Indie, Post-Punk & Folk Tracks with The Kellows, badtaste & More

In this edition of new music discoveries, we highlight the most compelling alt/indie, folk, and post-punk releases of the season. Sheffield’s The Kellows deliver intimate sincerity on “Breathe Me In”, Paris-based badtaste captures bittersweet growth on “Youth”, Norwegian trio GISKE drift between folk and alt-pop with ethereal beauty on “The Sound of Birdsong”, Midwest post-punk veterans The House Flies return darker and more cinematic on “Sweet Foxhound”, and Deflecting Ghosts channel raw emotion into a blistering alternative metal anthem with “Unknowing”. These tracks showcase the freshest voices in new music discoveries, offering emotion, energy, and unforgettable melodies.

“Breathe Me In” by The Kellows

Sheffield’s rising alt/indie outfit The Kellows deliver a defining moment with “Breathe Me In”, a track that feels like the sound of youth coming into its own. Following the buzz of “Do You Want Me To?” and a standout SXSW London debut, the four-piece—still just 17—step into deeper emotional territory without losing their punch. Frontman Will Harris leads with a raw sincerity that cuts straight through the lush guitar textures, balancing power with vulnerability. It’s the band’s most intimate and self-assured work to date — a song that doesn’t just play, it lingers.

“A confident leap forward — proof The Kellows are more than just ones to watch; they’re already arriving.”

“Youth” by badtaste

Paris-based artist badtaste (Anna Kristina) captures the glittering ache of growing up on “Youth”, a track that feels like a late-night confession set to shimmering synths. Blending baroque pop sensibilities with cinematic electronic layers, it dances delicately between freedom and loneliness — the strange thrill of being unmoored. Each verse feels handwritten from the edge of a new chapter, carried by vocals that glow with quiet vulnerability. “Youth” doesn’t try to define the feeling of becoming; it simply lets it breathe.

“Both intimate and widescreen — a beautifully uncertain soundtrack to growing up.”

“The Sound of Birdsong” by GISKE

Norwegian trio GISKE return with “The Sound of Birdsong”, a hauntingly beautiful meditation on light, stillness, and time. Featuring guest vocals from Maria Due, the track drifts between folk and alt-pop, evoking the half-dream clarity of a Nordic sunrise. There’s a cinematic calm to it — acoustic textures shimmer over delicate production, creating something at once grounded and ethereal. It’s not just a song to hear, but one to feel quietly unfold.

“As serene as dawn breaking over water — GISKE have crafted something timeless and deeply human.”

“Sweet Foxhound” by The House Flies

Midwest post-punk mainstays The House Flies resurface with “Sweet Foxhound”, their most immersive release since Mannequin Deposit. The track thrums with their signature gothic pulse — shadowy guitars, a hypnotic low-end, and vocals that echo through the haze like a memory half-remembered. With new guitarist Burnie Eckardt (Dynoride)joining the lineup, the band’s sound expands into darker, more cinematic corners. Originally born during the Mannequin Deposit sessions, “Sweet Foxhound” feels like a bridge between eras — a brooding, beautiful statement of evolution.

“A haunting return — The House Flies sound sharper, darker, and more alive than ever.”

“Unknowing” by Deflecting Ghosts

“Unknowing” by Deflecting Ghosts is more than a song — it’s a reckoning. A blistering alternative metal anthem forged in pain and rebirth, it channels frontman Luke’s battle with addiction and survival into something fiercely human. Crushing riffs collide with vocals that burn between rage and release, carrying the weight of every scar and scream. It’s not polished or pretty — it’s real, and that’s what makes it so powerful.

“Heavy in sound, heavier in truth — ‘Unknowing’ is the sound of someone finding life again.”

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