June Roundup: Albums and EPs from Tara Clerkin Trio, YHWH Nailgun and more.

By Hard of Hearing on July 7, 2026

Essential new releases also featuring Martial Arts, Sunglasz Vendor, Brown Wimpenny, Terra Twin and Hutch.

Tara Clerkin Trio by Peter Eason Daniels | Words: Lloyd Bolton

Tara Clerkin Trio – ‘Somewhere Good’

The new album from Bristol’s Tara Clerkin Trio underscores why they are one of the most impressive and original British bands active right now. Their music is a free associative and improv-led but grounded in memorable hooks and purposeful interplay, which plays out with a deceptive impression of effortlessness. Woodwind, vocals and other acoustic tones trade off with complementary electronic contrasts, creating allusive imaginary spaces of serene inspiration. ‘Silently’ and ‘Lazy Daisy’ stand out alongside the magnificent title track, ‘Somewhere Good’, but this is a record best enjoyed in its entirety, moments of easeful drift morphing into subtle purposefulness over forty transportive minutes.

YHWH Nailgun – ‘Magazine’

The inspiringly immediate and single-minded YHWH Nailgun are back with an album whose temporal compactness is offset by its proliferation of ideas. These songs pack in their essential provocations in as little time as possible, recalling the more idiosyncratic cuts of early Pixies. At the same time, the seething industrial texture of the record gives it a distinctly contemporary verve. An indelible eleven minutes leaves looming ghosts of concrete and burnt rubber.

Martial Arts – ‘From the Burnoff’

Manchester five-piece Martial Arts debuted with new EP ‘From the Burnoff’, released at the start of the month. Their indie rock classicism is front and centre across these five tracks, accentuated by production input from Craig Silvey and Dani Bennett Sprag, who have also worked together on current releases from Opus Kink, mary in the junkyard and Wunderhorse. There is a relentless energy to the band that has driven a growing buzz around their live shows. The effect has been faithfully instilled in ‘From the Burnoff’, which captures this early fervour in all its glory.

Sunglasz Vendor – ‘Break Glass’

Sunglasz Vendor’s ‘Break Glass’ is a spiky affront whose immediacy of impact belies a wealth of intricacy. Lyrics tread a fine balance between seeming spontaneity and witty conceit, speaking to modern day concerns of ‘seen read etiquette’ and the uneasy pipeline from indie kid to hyperpop connoisseur. Their urgency is maximised by tight instrumental backing, at times so seamless you forget it is coming from three separate people – a ridiculous thing to say about the pummelling behind tunes like ‘I’ll Do To You Yourself’ and ‘Combustibility Ratings’. ‘Guilty Pleasure’ is perhaps the highlight, At any rate, it certainly possesses the uncanny familiarity of an instant classic. Throughout, however, these songs are packed with inspired detail and immediate impact.

Brown Wimpenny – ‘Long Live Brown Wimpenny’

Played out across their debut album Brown Wimpenny’s expansive folk arrangements are truly immersive. The fifteen-minute opener ‘Gas Lights / Seanhamac Tube Station / Sailor’s Wife / Lovely Bann Water’ sets the tone, a wonderous and seamless medley which takes its time to introduce each sound from the group’s eleven-piece setup. Outstanding singles ‘Sheffield Grinder’ and ‘Old Molly Metcalfe’ offer contrasting visions of what the band do well, the latter a labyrinthine composition which emerges out of an explanation of an archaic method for sheep-counting. Already among the country’s most impressive and ambitious folk revivalists, this album cements that reputation.

Terra Twin – ‘Scumbag’

Terra Twin return with third EP ‘Scumbag’. The band started out as a bedroom recording project, and this collection underlines the lo-fi DIY spirit upon which it was built. Rattly drum machines, unpolished synth tones and close vocals platform the more fleshed-out contributions of the full-band in songs that never lose sight of their immediacy of intent. The mixture of electronica and indie rock tones recalls what makes Sorry feel so essential, and indeed the band have once again collaborated with James Dring, whose credits include Sorry as well as the likes of Gorillaz and Jamie T. Hook-filled opener ‘Parking Lot’ is the standout, but this is a tight collection all the way through, the short EP form suiting the restless energy that seems to invigorate everything the band do.

Hutch – ‘Mrs Sunshine’

Brighton psych-janglers Hutch are back with new EP ‘Mrs Sunshine’. The title track establishes the tone, irresistibly easy with singalong vocals and phase shifting swirl. There are welcome evocations of White Fence, Babe Rainbow, and of course the shared sixties touchstones from which all draw. ‘Thinking the Same’ is another highlight, an intimate cut with a bedroom indie feel poised against occasional paisley-patterned bursts. A welcome return indeed.