Bridie Monds-Watson isn’t a name you’d ever imagine encountering outside the pages of a novel by Dodie Smith or Somerville & Ross. This year, however, by sheer force of recommendation, it’s one that’s not only become familiar – it’s started to sound commonplace.

The Derry-born songwriter prefers to be known as Soak, and since the release of her second EP Sea Creatures, the hum of excitement initially generated by her debut four-track Trains has developed into a roar.
We talk of talent being ‘nurtured’, as if it’s something sea-shell fragile that needs to be kept in a pillowed box and placed on a shelf. And in some cases, indeed many, that’s the correct approach. Especially when, as it is here, you’re talking about a 16-year-old.
But Soak really isn’t going to help the ‘softly softly’ approach if she continues to produce music of such startling quality.
Lots of the recent singer-songwriter brood seem round-shouldered and aspire no higher than a slot on a mobile phone commercial. But with Soak – while the noise is subtle, and the mood low-key – all the evidence points to the presence of a confident and brave aesthetic. ‘Numb’ exhibits a mastery of mood not unlike a certain Chan Marshall (aka Cat Power), while ‘Sea Creatures’ manages to float like a Janie Ian tune, while all the time bearing a mournful and expertly delivered lyrical weight.
Caution is the watchword – for everyone’s sake. But Soak has laid some incredible foundations, and with clear heads in the background, we could be looking at something very special.
Another performer garnering attention of late is Katharine Philippa. And like Soak, her latest EP Fallen, is only going to spread the word further.
Again, any initial ‘wounded-wing’ scepticism is shooed off on a first listen. Like Soak too, these are quiet and measured songs, and as is the case with her near contemporary, Philippa seems in full command of the material.
For far too long, the Northern music scene gave every impression of being a boys’ club. Add these two to a list that now includes the likes of Silhouette and Allie Bradley, and you’ll see that’s clearly no longer the case.
Stop! Stop! Start Again – a (male!) four-piece made up of punk veterans and brave new blood – are a bit further on in their careers. Their Serge EP, though, has a smashing cover image: Monsieur Gainsbourg, waving an imperious two fingers at the camera, a huge safety-pin stuck through one of his remarkable nostrils.
As a visual summation of the influences informing the five tracks, the shot couldn’t be bettered. This is punky new wave with a sophisticated and merrily sleazy twist. All involved seem to have had the time of their lives. Hopefully now they’ve started again, there’ll be no more stops.
Tied To Machines, the subject of a recent Hit The North, have released their new EP Carla. Manchester City fans – or, indeed, anyone with a passing interest in individuals who set outdoor fireworks off indoors – will enjoy their ode to the great Mario Balotelli. The band are now embarking on a quest to bring the song to the attention of the man himself. We, of course, await with interest news of how all that pans out. And if he ever does get to hear the tune, what odds would you give me on him going off like a box of... well, you know?
It’s also worth mentioning that Deadman’s Ghost, the moody, electro outlet of Jason Mills, has just released the single ‘Tandem Felix’. A version of the track appeared on the brilliant album The Broken Zoetrope, now available through Umor Rex. Mills is one of our most restless and remarkable magpies – and the single (like the album) presents a master class in stylistic hopscotch. This is one Deadman bursting with life.