Francesco Amoroso per TRISTE©

French songwriter Thierry Haliniak has been making music as My Raining Stars since the late ’90s, drawing on the influence of C86, Creation and Sarah Records. After the early experience with Nothing To Be Done, who shared stages with the likes of The Boo Radleys, Adorable and Moose, he eventually released his first album, From St Saviour To Quickwell, in 2008. Since then, he has quietly built a discography devoted to the simple, timeless pleasures of guitar pop. His latest album is called Toy Club and, I have to admit, there is something strangely comforting about it. Listening to its songs feels a little like opening a box of old 7-inches and discovering that, somehow, nothing inside has aged. With Toy Club, Haliniak takes a deliberate step back towards his formative years, revisiting the spirit of the Lyon indie scene of the ’90s. The album’s nine songs were written and initially recorded by Thierry with Casper Iskov, before former Nothing To Be Done member Didier Frahier (E-Grand) was given complete freedom of action with guitars and keyboards. The abum works beautifully because it doesn’t sound nostalgic at all: it sounds more like a quiet conversation with the past. Haliniak writes the kind of songs that seem almost deceptively simple: bright guitars, uncomplicated arrangements, clear melodies and a gentle undercurrent of melancholy. What I particularly like about Toy Club is its lack of pretension. There is no attempt to make these songs sound bigger, louder or more important than they are. They simply exist, beautifully written and beautifully played. Toy Club may not reinvent guitar pop, but it hardly needs to. Sometimes a handful of beautifully crafted songs is enough to remind us why we fell in love with pop, and guitars, and melodies in the first place.

Francesco Amoroso per TRISTE©

1000 Rabbits is a London-based art-pop/indie rock band originally from Aldeburgh, Suffolk. The band consists of River (vocals), Laura (violin), Liv (synthesizer), Luke (drums), and Paolo (guitar). They released their debut EP, Are We Friends Yet?, on the Young label.
It is a lively, vibrant record that preserves the urgency of the live dimension from which it emerged. Six taut, electrifying tracks distill two years of growth, shaped in rehearsal rooms and on stage. Drawing close to the path forged by the reinvented Black Country, New Road, 1000 Rabbits blend restless minimalism with abrasive violin and sudden melodic surges, moving between folk, art pop and post-punk tension with remarkable naturalness. The songs retain a collective, intricate character without sacrificing immediacy, while showcasing River’s fragile, heartfelt voice, leading to the closing question that gives the album its title: an effective summation of an identity still taking shape, yet already unmistakably its own.

Francesco Amoroso per TRISTE©

Early Days, the debut mini-album by Stuttgart-based duo The Simple Present (Cathrin on vocals and guitar and Sabine on backing vocals and keyboard) is a quietly enchanting release that feels instantly familiar to anyone who loves classic indie pop. Drawing from the jangly melancholy of Sarah Records, the DIY charm of Marine Girls and The Gentle Waves, and the melodic warmth of Swedish indie pop acts such as Sambassadeur and Alpaca Sports, the duo craft songs that are tender, unhurried, and deeply comforting. Nothing here shouts for attention. Instead, the album unfolds with a gentle emotional tension, carried by sparkling guitar lines, soft harmonies and melodies that linger long after the music fades. Tracks such as I Found Something, Summer Triangle, and Words of Encouragement highlight their gift for turning everyday observations into quietly memorable pop songs. What makes Early Days so appealing is its sincerity: it sounds like a collection of songs lovingly discovered and shared. Gentle, melodic, and full of heart, it is one of those indiepop records that sneaks up on you and refuses to let go. Across eight beautifully crafted songs, Cathrin and Sabine favour subtlety and delicacy with unassuming arrangements that create an atmosphere of warmth and quiet reflection, allowing the melodies to shine naturally. Every track is infused with charm, intelligence and emotional honesty, but what makes Early Days so special is its effortless authenticity. Cathrin’s voice, despite its perfect English diction, carries a faint but fascinating “Teutonic” quality: slightly restrained, almost as if it prefers understatement over the crystalline euphoria often associated with classic Anglophone indie pop. These songs never feel calculated; instead, they unfold with patience and grace, revealing new details with every listen.

Francesco Amoroso per TRISTE©

Few Border’s proper debut album, Lost And Found (released once again on Subjangle just months after the EP collection, In The Twilight, and the new EP The Fire Within) is the natural culmination of Olivier Boutry’s quietly enchanting DIY universe: a record where jangly guitars shimmer, delicate bells sparkle, keyboards caress, and even the occasional fake trumpet somehow manages to convey genuine emotional weight. Drawing from the timeless lineage of Sarah Records, C86, Creation-era indie pop, and the wistful romance of bands like The Smiths and The Red, Pinks And Purples, flirting with the dream pop of more recent bands like Pale Spectres and Swiss Portrait, and not forgetting lessons of New Order and the modern (light)post-punk of Motorama, Boutry crafts songs that are intimate and communicative, nostalgic, but somehow, jubilant and strikingly fresh. There’s a beautifully homemade quality to the album: crystal-clear melodies drift through hazy arrangements like postcards from forgotten shores and late-evening train rides. Every track carries the warmth of its solitary creator completely immersed in his own world, proving once again that Few Border’s greatest strength is Olivier’s instinct for balancing melancholy with sweetness. Lost And Found is dream-pop for people who still believe guitars can sparkle and sadness can feel comforting. A heartfelt, luminous debut full of charm, longing, and timeless indie-pop magic.