Marples have been sitting on one of their strongest songs yet, delivering a track that feels immediate, melodic and increasingly expansive as it unfolds.
The Sheffield four-piece — Joe Neville (vocals and rhythm guitar), Tom Martin (lead guitar), Joe Kneale (bass) and Luke Fieldsend (drums) — announced themselves on the emerging indie scene in 2022 with the release of debut EP In The Attic. Three further singles — I’ve Been Shown, Friends and First Kiss — have followed, helping the band amass more than 25,000 Spotify streams. Their rise has also been reflected on the live circuit, with Marples headlining Sheffield’s iconic The Leadmill, and Sidney and Matilda before taking top billing on a stage at Tramlines earlier this summer.
There is an immediate sense of movement to Dreams. Jangly guitars, infectious melodies and a chorus built to linger sit at the heart of the track, with an almost Smiths-esque quality to those bright, chiming guitar lines. Rather than simply relying on power chords to drive the song forward, the guitar dances around the vocal with melodic flourishes, bringing a lightness and shimmer that gives Dreams its distinctive character.
Underneath, the bass and drums keep everything moving at an impressive pace, giving Dreams a restless energy without ever making it feel rushed.
Joseph Neville’s vocal provides the contrast. There is a warmth to his delivery that suits the more reflective nature of the song, while the melody carries enough immediacy to make the chorus stick remarkably quickly. When the band open everything up, the track suddenly feels considerably bigger; guitars spread out, the rhythm section pushes harder and that melodic restraint turns into something much more euphoric.
That gradual expansion is arguably Dreams’ biggest strength. Marples resist throwing everything at the opening thirty seconds. Instead, the song grows, allowing those bigger moments to actually mean something when they arrive. By its latter stages there is noticeably more weight behind the guitars and rhythm section, but crucially the melody remains firmly at the centre.
There are traces of that unmistakable Sheffield guitar-band heritage running through the track, while the jangling guitar textures bring flashes of classic British indie into the mix. Yet Marples never sound like they are simply recreating what has come before them. The brighter guitar tones, melodic instincts and youthful energy give Dreams its own personality, sitting somewhere between jangling indie, widescreen guitar pop and the rush of a song built to be played to a packed room.
And perhaps that explains why Dreams feels so assured. This isn’t a song searching for its identity; it sounds like one that knows exactly where its biggest moments are.
With Dreams, Marples take the energy of a guitar band built on the live stage and turn it into something melodic, uplifting and effortlessly infectious. If this is an indication of where they’re heading next, those ambitions are beginning to sound considerably less like dreams.
Dreams is released on Friday 2nd October and can be pre-saved here
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