Leon Blanchard, a name perhaps faintly echoing from the mid-noughties indie surge, returns not with fanfare, but with a solitary signal flare titled "Astronaut". Hailing from Grimsby, a town known more for its fishing heritage than its celestial aspirations, Blanchard's new song does not really feel like a return, but more like a personal gearbox picked up after years of chatter. In 2007, his old band,...

Well, this is a bouncy little slice of existential dread, isn’t it? Arn-Identified Flying Objects and Alien Friends, stepping out from his REDMOON duties, wraps up a deep discomfort in the shiniest power-pop paper, adding a jagged punk ribbon and just a dusting of folk’s earnestness. “Sing-Along Songs” struts in with a deceptive grin, all upbeat guitars and a melody that genuinely wants you...