The return of a Bear Club favourite with a new album and a slightly new sound. Ma Polaine’s Great Decline are an award-winning band praised by MOJO Magazine for their unique blend of pop, folk, blues, and Americana, embarking on an exciting UK tour following the February release of their fifth studio album, Monster Swan. This album is a return to the grittier, bluesier side of Ma Polaine and, whilst that influence is clear, the album still carries their usual “hard to pigeon-hole” hallmark. “Japanese Knotweed” flies that flag most strongly, the somewhat unhinged story line backed by a similarly unhinged arrangement. “Gasoline Can” and “Told You Lately” hold the most blues about them, albeit from different camps of the genre. With airplay on BBC 6 and BBC Radio 2, and the support of Cerys Matthews, the band’s genre-defying charm unfolds through songs that explore the intricacies of human connections, weaving tales of light and dark with uplifting melodies and heartfelt storytelling. Their recent live album release drew this comparison from Fatea magazine: “a cocktail that is one part Beth Gibbons from Portishead, a measure of Holiday edge and one part Rockabilly growl”. That’s some cocktail…