Fightmilk - If You Had A Sister

Last Month, London’s Fightmilk returned with their latest single ‘If You Had A Sister’ via Reckless Yes Records.

Having built a solid reputation on the underground as a budding pop punk outfit, this offing marks a big shift in direction but not unwelcome. Lily Rae’s vocals have been a huge hook from day but, now, Stevie Knicks’ stardust emanates from her soul.

This is effortless pop worthy of early Madonna via Wolf Alice, Ash and ‘Tusk’ era Fleetwood Mac. It’s the perfect vehicle for its heavyweight message. Rae eloquently highlights, at best, the casual offense women have to tolerate all too often. Sadly, as the song grows to its crescendo of crashing drums and sublime solo, its apparent this is a worst case scenario of domestic abuse.

This new approach has catapulted their new album into the eagerly anticipated category for 2021. Few can walk the tightrope of integrity and bombast, Fightmilk just took an assured stride onto the said rope.

Fightmilk – I’m Starting to Think You Don’t Even Want To Go Space

British pop-punk has undergone a renaissance of late with Asylums. Their intergalactic psyche meets Ash has taken it too much needed new places. Now, Fightmilk have come back and expanded its horizons further.

Their latest single, ‘I’m Starting to Think You Don’t Even Want To Go To Space’, is released on Reckless Yes 20th March.

Singer, guitarist, and icon in the making, Lily Rae spoke of this single recently:

“I was inspired to write this song by watching someone who keeps loudly proclaiming they're going to save humanity and change the world constantly make excuses for why they haven't got round to it. It's largely about emotional labour and rockets and I'm dead proud of it.”

Even with this in mind, in 2020, this will soundtrack forlorn lovers and young unrequited love sufferers alike. The glorious combination of pop, punk, and dream pop will, however, take you to other places. Namely, hairbrush, bedroom, and arms aloft.

It is the kind of record that UK seemingly forgot how to make and one, that it so badly needs across its airwaves. Infectious vocals, the storming of the gates guitars, and lyrical wit and charm. The nuggets of Cure’s shimmering guitars are, well, a bonus of huge magnitude.

You will be hard-pressed to hear a more complete single all year.

Captain Handsome - I Am Not An Animal

Lily Rae lit up 2018 when her band, Fightmilk, released their debut album ‘Not With That Attitude’. Now, she is striking out on her own under the moniker Captain Handsome. Today, she releases her debut EP ‘I’m Not An Animal’ via Reckless Yes.

Themes of both, light and dark, permeate the best work here. On ‘Annalise’, the ambition of The Decemberists ‘The Crane Wife 3’ hooks up with the raw pop prowess of Kid Harpoon’s ‘Late For The Devil’ as, Rae delivers bubble wrapped gift of beauty and melancholy.

Earlier this month, she put out ‘Halloween’ (full review here) as the lead single. The sinister strings build so much tension they should come with an anxiety warning, that is, until the release of the last chorus. What was once Rae’s deluge of sadness, becomes triumphant, an amusing footnote in a life clearly turned around.

Though ‘Halloween’ has a cathartic feel, ‘Dolly Parton’ lands you right into the mire. It’s soul crushing all-night vigil for one. Through the stunning orchestration and, Rae’s sublime Kirsty McColl-esque vocals, she explores a painstaking night home alone pondering poor choices.

On the title track, McColl’s inspiration again looms large. However, she goes much further and heightens her sense of fragility. So much so that, it allows both beauty and danger to circulate like angels and demons. Although the song builds like an epic Embrace single, its awkwardness, lends itself to the introverted brilliance of Frank Black and Graham Coxon.

This is, with perhaps the exception of ‘I Wish I Had a Dog’, a masterful EP. Whist we all break at times, Captain Handsome show how to plummet and, then recover!

Captain Handsome - Halloween

Captain Handsome is the eagerly anticipated side project of Fightmilk singer Lily Rae. Her latest single ‘Halloween’ is out today on all digital platforms and, will be followed by the physical release of the EP ‘I Am Not An Animal’ on 31st January via Reckless Yes.

From the opening strums of the guitar, you just know something brutally honest is coming. Rae, speaking about the track said “Halloween’ is part ode to Goth Christmas (the best day of the year) and part hardcore whinge about parties going wrong. If you've ever ended up as somebody else's funny story, I hope you manage to exorcise it and move on rather than putting horror strings into a three-minute lo-fi mope.”

Is it wrong to disagree? The sense of a soul crushed on the line “I had a bad time on the bathroom floor” at a party is something to rejoice in. If it’s never been you, you’re simply not living life romantically or dangerously enough.

The sinister strings build so much tension they should come with an anxiety warning, that is, until the release of the last chorus. What was once Rae’s deluge of sadness, becomes triumphant, an amusing footnote in a life clearly turned around to great success.

The tragic is magic. Let it in!

Reckless Yes currently have membership for the year open - included is all their releases this year, plus a load of other benefits and the knowledge you're supporting independent artists. The Captain Handsome EP is available to all members now and there's even an option to join Last Night From Glasgow at the same time and get all their releases too. More here - http://recklessyes.bigcartel.com