Lonely Together.

Is "pandemic pop" a recognised genre term yet? Because if not then I think this is it.

Unify Separate, the recently rebranded artists formerly known as US, release their new single Solitude & I this week and it has immediately secured repeat play status for me. Described by the band as "an in-your-face manifesto for never, ever giving up on your dreams", the track is a thrilling, if unexpectedly drum and bass driven, four minutes of electronic joy.

Along with the usual hallmarks of soaring, dramatic synths and Andrew Montgomery's always elegiac vocals, this release is also a definite reminder of why I think they are often at their best when they go harder, and is probably my favourite of their singles since 2018's equally epic Voyager.

Solitude & I is in a lot of ways more instantly catchy and poppy than much of their output, but it also has a driving power and an exhilarating, urgent aggressiveness pushing away in the background too. Possibly because, as the band say themselves, "these days, there's no time to lose."

Artist: Unify Separate

Title: Solitude & I

Mood: Dancing with tears in my eyes