Manchester’s Pastel recently released their debut EP ‘Deeper Than Holy’ via the label of the moment Spirit of Spike Island. It follows the colossal, Andy Bell endorsed ‘She Waits For Me’. Can it match its power?
Go buy their EP from Spirit of Spike Island here.
Title track ‘Deeper Than Holy’ eloquently follows in its footsteps. The trippy ‘Life’s An Ocean’ guitars and Blake-esque power of the lyrics elevate the best moments of The Verve to the fore.
‘Run Rabbit Run’ delivers another slice of powerful psyche music. They’ve taken Cream for a 4am walk through the northern quarter and it’s intoxicating. The short splices of Squire combine with the modern-day baggy pioneers like Big
Image and The Utopiates to keep their spiralling propulsion traversing new planes.
The power of these two tracks needs brevity and on ‘Blu’ and Where We Go’ they do not disappoint. The former, taps into Oasis’ groove on their cover of Cartouche’s ‘Better Let You Know’ whilst, gently unfurling like Mock Turtles and climaxing in The Twang’s swagger. Lyrically, it’s the EP’s most freeing moment. We defy you not to readdress your life as Jack Yates proclaims ‘I was waiting for something / But I had nothing / but I had nothing to lose…….It’s getting better/ And higher’.
Meanwhile, ‘Where We Go’ reignites the c86 movement with the beauty of Felt and the jagged drive of Servant. Arguably, it’s a song that defines this generation of dreamers more than any other (along with label mates Afflecks Palace and Coventry’s The Institutes). Kicked, maligned, and locked up, their songwriting has been born out of utter frustration and has come to set us free.
Bands like these are so vital right now. More so than Joy Division, The Smiths, The Roses, and Oasis. The aforementioned had a carrot dangled. They knew that, if they could produce, then they would be rewarded. Today, bands face a race to the bottom. Spotify believes its model is morally justifiable. It isn’t! Pastel are making good new music but, furthermore, they are going to succeed despite an industry intent on denying them a future!
*Image courtesy of Matthew Enyon