Stanleys are a Wigan four piece consisting of Tom Concannon (Vocals), Jake Dorsman (Guitar), Harry Ivory (Bass), and Rob Hilton (Drums). They released their debut EP ‘The Sound of the Stanleys’ last year and have returned with new single ‘The Martyr’.
It’s the kind of free flowing escape from a home town that can only come from youth. Vibrant and aimlessly meandering as it longs for something to drag them away from their surroundings. Lyrically, they've struck gold. This is a classic Western movie isolation and fear being diminished by a wandering hero.
It's the chorus which really lifts their lyrical prowess to the next level though:
“Beat and broken, made to work all day / dreams are forbidden, hopes are cast away as reachless”
The western imagery is given a distinct modern day British feel. Images of Clint Eastwood fade into the brave Wetherspoons staff protesting against the repugnant Timothy Randall Martin. Stick your poverty wages up your mullet you tosser!
'The Martyr' is what true outsiderdom sounds like, not millionaires preaching their salt of the earth. This single is heartfelt, riotous, and escapist. Music lacks the power of film to make prequels but, if it did, this would surely be the early years of Richard Hawley roving the streets of Sheffield.
Forget the right wing millionaires who preach outsiderdom, this is what it sounds like. Heartfelt, alone, longing to belong to something worth loving. Sadly, music cant make prequels like film. If it could, this would surely be Richard Hawley’s teenage years wandering the streets of Sheffield.