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Pastel – Souls In Motion
An album review of Manchester band Pastel’s debut album ‘Souls In Motion’.
As lockdown began to fade in October 2021, Pastel put the world on notice with their ‘Deeper Than Holy’ EP. Organic, righteous, explorative indie-psyche music reared its head and sowed the seeds of hope for the guitar scene.
Four years on, they’ve opened for Liam Gallagher at Knebworth, blown their label mates of stage at the Islington Academy, and ushered in a new era of shoegaze and rock ‘n’ roll with a miraculous performance at The Garage in London.
Key to their ascendancy has been the likes of ‘Deeper Than Holy’, ‘Isiah’, and ‘Escape’. The former eloquently follows in its footsteps. The trippy ‘Life’s An Ocean’ guitars, whilst Blake-esque lyrics elevate the best moments of The Verve to the fore, something that will become their stock in trade. ‘Isaiah’ is steeped in Nick McCabe’s magical swirling guitars that beckon tonnes of dry ice on a huge stage for them. Frontman Jack Yates’ angelic vocals give the astonishing sonic a human touch, allowing us mortals into their world. ‘Escape’, written after a hefty acid trip, has the melodic hallmarks of ‘Weeping Willow’ and ‘Space & Time’ and the explorative splendour of ‘Blue’. The sumptuous slide guitars are destined for iconic status.
Image courtesy of Fear PR
The unheard additions to the album are its biggest assets, though. ‘Heroes Blood’ and ‘Gone Too Fast’ rise to the top of ‘Souls In Motion’ with astonishing power. ‘Heroes Blood’ is a tornado of rock ‘n’ roll with basslines from the devil and guitars from the darkest quarter of McCabe’s soul. With hedonism in their blood, they march unsighted through the mire to announce “I’m free” alongside the majesty of ‘Urban Hymns’. It’s a monstrous opener, beset with the kind of intent that ‘Stone Roses’, ‘Definitely Maybe’, and ‘Never Mind The Bollocks’ unleashed.
‘Gone To Fast’ is where they transcend to greatness. Frontman Jack Yates finds spitefulness in his vocals in the verse; it gives the self-belief in the lyrics the venom they richly deserve. Conversely, as Joe Anderson and James Yates build the tension to a fever pitch, Jack’s melodic vocal uplift becomes the most significant moment in rock ‘n’ roll this decade! Has three and a half minutes ever felt more like a victory?
Pastel have given the alternative circuit its credibility back. For the first time in what feels like forever, a band has decreed statements of intent and confidence that, not only can be believed in, can resonate with the life-or-death authenticity of Jimmy Cooper (Quadrophenia):
“I’ve got heroes blood running through my veins” (‘Heroes Blood’)
“The hand that shakes the suit and tie / is the one that will betray” (‘Your Day’)
“You can’t walk a single step in my shoes” (‘Gone To Fast’)
The time is up for the raffle winners who are half-arsing fame and supporting 90s legends on seemingly every tour! The real deal has woken from its slumber, and it’s taking back big stages, festivals, and glory.
Manchester’s Pastel are set to release their debut album on January 17th via Spirit of Spike Island Records. ‘Souls In Motion’ was recorded at The Old Bank studios, with Afflecks Palace frontman J Fender producing and James Kenosha mixing.
Afflecks Palace – You Are The Answer
We review the latest single from Manchester band Afflecks Palace You Are The Answer.
Manchester’s Afflecks Palace returned last week with their new single, ‘You Are The Answer’. It was produced by their frontman, J Fender, and will be released on their label, Spirit of Spike Island.
Their trademark lysergic guitars remain, but they’re now clashing with the jagged edges of early REM and motorik drums. The culture clashes have breathed a vibrancy into their sonic vision that surpasses what are already two fine albums.
Artwork & image courtesy of Spirit of Spike Island.
On a lyrical level, 'You Are The Answer' is a poignant exploration of self-doubt and the relentless creative struggle to overcome it. This rock ‘n’ roll desperation propels the band to new heights, hinting that as we age, we must “run faster than you ever run” to chase those teenage dreams.
‘You Are The Answer’ is the sound of a band getting older and wiser, knowing its last chance saloon. Kaleidoscopic guitars and ethereal production appear fleetingly, allowing Fender’s message of seize the day (“breathes new life deep into theses lungs / inhale the flames and spit them out the fire”) to take a powerful stranglehold.
What began as a reimagining of a bygone Manchester has now spread its wings far beyond their home. They’ve enveloped more influences and spat out a more focused, universal, and desirable ode to their roots and, crucially, a vision for the future.
Pastel: The Garage, London
We reviewed the live show of Manchester band Pastel at the London venue The Garage.
Having sold out the Camden Assembly last October, Manchester’s Pastel were back in the capital to play to a packed crowd at The Garage.
Image Credit: Matthew Eynon. Courtesy of Spirit of Spike Island.
At the Assembly (Barfly), their latest single, ‘Your Day’, whilst good, was jarring. Its urgency countered their more blissed-out fan favourites. To great effect, this purposeful spirit was doubled down on at the garage—the former single opened proceedings with an aggressive front-foot mindset, which they rarely deviated from.
With the intensity levels pulsating, the latest single, ‘Dancing On A Pin, ‘S.O.H.O,’ and previously unheard tracks fired out quickly. Breath only was taken when frontman Jack Yates asked us “to fund his haircut.” It was a masterclass in substance over style, allowing little time to comprehend what was happening—dizzying, mystical genius!
As the band led the room to the precipice, the release of ‘Isaiah’ was a divine moment, but it was ‘Deeper Than Holy’ that truly ignited the crowd. The song, previously well-received at Islington Town Hall and the Camden Assembly, took on a new life on this night, transcending the stage. The crowd arms aloft and wide, bellowed for it with an unhinged willingness to prove what it meant. Powerful, soul-freeing energy was released into a psychedelic haze of smoke and red lights as the band, and fans became unified in their shared experience.
Pastel have now crossed over. The world is theirs. Their howling guitars the warning sirens for the world, get your shit together; systemic cultural change is nigh!
Vega Rally - Back At It Again
Rally’s grooves have been eye-catching to date. They’ve gone to a place that no one can deny now. Emotively brilliant!
West Yorkshire-born songwriter, guitarist, and producer extraordinaire Vega Rally is back with a new EP his new EP, ‘This Moment’ at midnight. We have heard the track ‘Back At It Again’ courtesy of This Feeling. Banner image courtesy of Debbie Ellis Photography.
Rally’s guitars root themselves in the baggy mod beauty of The Charlatans’ ‘Some Friendly’ and ‘Between 10th & 11th’. The guitar lines are so pure your soul will cleanse itself by the midpoint. Accompanying the crisp, meandering guitar lines is a career-best vocal. Effortlessly gliding from the softer early Burgess cuteness to the smoky drag of Ian Brown’s debut ‘Unfinished Monkey Business’.
Everything culminates with a piano loop to soundtrack any life worth living. Rally taps into what set hearts racing back in ‘88 and redefines what they can be. His slower groove allows something more eloquent to emerge, conjuring images of young souls innocently entering a world they grew up with. His playing pushes on, allowing said characters to crystalise their dreams.
Rally’s grooves have been eye-catching to date. They’ve gone to a place that no one can deny now. Emotively brilliant! ‘Back At It Again’ is out at midnight, check back tomorrow to listen.
Afflecks Palace - The Only Light In This Tunnel Is The Oncoming Train
The rise of Afflecks Palace continues steadfastly. It’s beautifully aimless, passionate, and soul-enriching. 100 years from now, they will not be forgotten!
This September, we catch up on some of favourite albums of 2023. Back in April, Manchester’s Afflecks Palace released their second album, ‘The Only Light In This Tunnel Is The Oncoming Train’ via their label Sprit Of Spike Island.
Image and artwork courtesy of Spirit of Spike Island.
In 2021, on ‘What Do You Mean Its Not Raining’ and live, Afflecks Palace felt like potential not fully realised. This time, their lysergic charm has found the missing ingredient to take them to another level. Intensity!
Bridging the gap between the two albums are ‘Big Fish Small Pond’, ‘Dancing Is Not A Crime’, and ‘I’m So Glad You’re On Ecstasy’. ‘Big Fish Small Pond’ witnesses Peter Radshaw laying waste to his skins to allow frontman J Fender to punch out the vocal with a determined cadence. The new inflamed passion culminates with a breath-taking pause before they announce themselves as serious players. Opener ‘Dancing Is Not A Crime’ rips a page out of Manchester’s heritage and pastes it back in with an ecstatically wayward power. Fender’s vocal uplift alongside the warped guitars takes the band to the edge of a classic (album three is already a drooling prospect). Meanwhile, ‘I’m So Glad You’re On Ecstasy’ builds on the delicate psyche and dreams of ‘Spinner’ with its trials and tribulations of modern drug use. Fender toys with the cadence and tempo like a cat with its prey. He is totally in command of his performance now, and it allows the band's identity to cement a foundation in the hearts and minds of indie lovers.
If these tracks were doubling down on their dreams for the debut album, then ‘Holidays’ and ‘Patchwork Quilted Veins’ are the sound of bigger and better ones materialising. As Fender decrees, “this heart is caught in a landslide”, desperation emerges to increase their rock ‘n’ roll integrity. Rebellious, humble, and living for the moment, the band now emit an essence which fans can cling to with hope in a world falling apart at the seams. ‘Patchwork Quilted Veins’ bristles with an urgency through Dan Stapleton’s delicate Marr-esque guitars, the haunting keys, and Fender’s fierce backing vocals. Together, they conjure a sense of rising and tumbling as the protagonist struggles towards the light. Midway Stapleton lets out a blast of anguish on his guitar so powerful you’ll be merciful it’s short.
Then, on ‘Wake Up’ and ‘Wide Eyes On The Night Bus’ the album climaxes in different ways. ‘Wake Up’ displays Radshaw’s increasing power within the band. The ferocity and fluidity of his drumming find a place between Reni (Stone Roses) and Matt Tong (Bloc Party). It gives Fender’s clarion call “stand up, stand tall” a chance to build with greater anticipation before taking a grip of your soul. As he sings, “treading water all your life”, a thunderous self-examination takes hold, but, before answers are realised, the devastating “silence is a passenger” wraps itself around your vital organs demanding more.
The self-determining power of ‘Wake Up’ is, in many ways mirrored and ignored on ‘Wide Eyes On The Night Bus’. Flirting with Factory Records history, the band plunges into an inspirational MDMA-enthused night out. Fender’s gently eloquent vocals and Stapleton’s electrifying guitars chart the course of nowhere and have a great time getting there. As opportunities for this generation fade, it offers a way out to anyone feeling the pressure. To find this much beauty in 2023 is truly astonishing. Souls have come together, creating a new day, a beautiful day!
The rise of Afflecks Palace continues steadfastly. It’s beautifully aimless, passionate, and soul-enriching. 100 years from now, they will not be forgotten!
Click the image below for tickets to their 2024 tour:
Vega Rally: This Feeling Stage, Truck Festival
Vega Rally swaggering his way through Truck Festival 2023.
Singer, songwriter, producer, one man band extraordinaire Vega Rally played This Feeling’s stage at Truck Festival last Thursday and we were there to check him out. Images courtesy of Alan Wells.
The sight of one man, a laptop, and a green-striped Adidas guitar seemed to perplex a few initially but, once the booming beats and ‘Waterfall-esque’ guitars of ‘Infinity 93’ chime, his charm and self-belief infect the room. ‘This Moment’ took it to yet another level. The heartfelt melody began to soar across the Oxfordshire skies as Rally really began to cut loose.
To date, part of Rally’s appeal has been his remixes. Pastel’s ‘Deeper Than Holy’ and Marseille’s ‘Jungle’ have added extra dimensions to two of the UK’s hottest prospects. On set closer ‘Feel Alive’, the dynamism and swagger he’s shared with his peers come together for himself via the heart of Wilkinson and subtle nods to the early 90s rave scene.
Click the image below to see Vega Rally headline for this year's Humber Street Sesh:
Pastel - Isaiah
Manchester’s Pastel release their second EP ‘Isaiah’ EP this Friday via Spirit of Spike Island Records. Produced by Afflecks Palace frontman J Fender, it follows the success of their ‘Deeper Than Holy’ EP released back in 2021. Can it follow up on the early promise?
The previous EP demonstrated a love of the Verve which they have doubled down on here. The title track ‘Isaiah’ is steeped in Nick McCabe’s magical swirling guitars that beckon tonnes of dry ice on a huge stage for them. Frontman Jack Yates angelic vocals give the astonishing sonic a human touch, allowing us mortals into their world. ‘Escape’, written after a hefty acid trip, has the melodic hallmarks of ‘Weeping Willow’ and ‘Space & Time’ and the explorative splendour of ‘Blue’. The sumptuous slide guitars are destined for iconic status.
Their time with John Squire at Knebworth was clearly well spent. On ‘S.O.H.O.’ the ‘Second Coming’ and ‘Do It Yourself’ strut comes out to play. Great and immediate hooks combine with Yate’s Chris Helme vocals to bug everything out.
On ‘Two Fools’ however, the promise builds but does not arrive. Whilst the hiss of Owen Morris’ Oasis production lurks and the vastness of ‘Urban Hymns’, its tails off without landing a killer moment. That is a testament to the quality elsewhere that your hopes are raised song upon song.
*Image courtesy of Fear PR
Pastel’s remaining live date of the year is:
November 20th - Preston, Crosstown Festival
Afflecks Palace - Dancing Is Not A Crime
Image and artwork courtesy of https://www.spiritofspikeisland.com/
Manchester’s independent kings Afflecks Palace recently returned with their new single ‘Dancing Is Not A Crime’. Released on their own label Spirit of Spike Island it was produced by frontman J Fender.
‘Dancing Is Not A Crime’ is the lead single from their second album due for release in 2023. They have doubled down on the lysergic energy of the debut album and produced their best work yet. There’s a confidence to J Fender’s vocals now which allows the guitars to become, ever so slightly more muscular. This slight tweak gives them an aura that befits their dreams!
The added aggression elevates Dan Stapleton’s guitar licks (and the backward ones) to a mind-altering reality where everything feels rushed, in the best possible sense! Everything bristles with excitement, poised on the edge of a dancefloor waiting for that solo or piano loop to release souls.
It’s easy to see why it has been c-listed on 6Music and their shows with Pastel at 100 Club and Thekla have sold out.
Afflecks Palace: Islington Assembly Hall
Afflecks Palace, although headlining, were dealt a tough hand by label mates Pastel. So stark was Pastels’ performance, Afflecks had to work overtime to whip the crowd back up. Hard work is what Afflecks Palace lives for though. Running the label Spirit of Spike Island, producing records, writing records, artwork, and designing merch. They must be the hardest-working band in the UK!
Images courtesy of the Adrian Lee.
What might have taken some bands half a set to recover, they did by track three ‘Spinner’. The paisley guitars were drenched in floral glory. As sweat and booze fell to the floor, souls were released into a kaleidoscope of bliss.
‘We Can Be The Avalanche’ went up a notch from the album. Pete Darling’s basslines darker and broodier alongside Pete Redshaw’s devastatingly destructive drumming took their clarion call to dizzying new heights!
In James Fender, the band has the humble icon the UK scene has sorely missed for some time. Fender looks like us, dances like us, and he is here to save us all! Proving to the world men in bucket hats are full of love and not to be avoided, he danced like it was 1988 apace with his ethereal baggy vocals. Watching him effortlessly groove across the stage to the sun-drenched ‘Pink Skies’ or explode into life on ‘Calling All Cars’ was nothing short of poetic.
With new songs ‘I’m So Glad You’re On Ecstasy’ and ‘Big Fish Small Pond’ sounding equally as dynamic, the future looks incredibly bright.
Pastel: Islington Assembly Hall, London
“Don't you feel alive / These are your times and our highs”
Last Saturday, as part of the record label ‘Spirit of Spike Island’ tour, Manchester’s Pastel went on second at the Islington Assembly Hall. They left all-conquering heroes!
It’s rare for a burgeoning band to leave everyone talking about the as-yet-unreleased songs of the set. However, in ‘Running On Empty’ and ‘Soho’ they did just that. Frontman Jack Yates vocals, sent from heaven, stoned, flood the senses with The Verve circa ‘The Verve’ and ‘Voyager’. Angelic with the ability to step off the power and let everything swirl around him in a t4echnicolour haze. Meanwhile, lead guitarist Joe Anderson was cementing his place as the heir to Nick McCabe’s throne. Anderson’s celestial majesty conjured a druggy vortex the like of which have not been seen since their Wigan peers’ triumphant Glastonbury return in 2008.
The latest single ‘Escape’ brought a tear to many an eye. They combine the slide guitar beauty of ‘Space and Time’ with the scenic psyche soundscapes of ‘Blue’ and the bugged-out melancholy of ‘Virtual World’. The UK scene has never lacked meaning. It’s full of great polemic. What it has missed as the industry raced to the bottom, is a band willing to shun indie’s immediacy in the hunt for success. Pastel hadn’t forgotten! They have existence and it’s theirs to share!
It was a set of so much power, one in which where you leave knowing the world just changed. Despite this, they still had moments of great brevity spliced in. ‘Blu’ pulls in the delicate immediacy of DMA’s Matthew Mason and Johnny Took’s guitars whilst still striving for their own swirling splendour.
Pastel, despite their trippy sonic, looks like a band of brothers. The gang mentality in all fronting up the stage is reminiscent of Oasis's run to glory. Looking great, all in a line, demanding everyone’s attention! Jack Yates, has that mystical Bobby Gillespie appeal and knows when to refrain and allow his band to shine brightest. A gang, a collective, they rock ‘n roll in arts purist form.
Afflecks Palace – What Do You Mean It’s Not Raining
Manchester’s Afflecks Palace have been on one hell of a charge this past two years. Not content with launching their label Spirit of Spike Island, looking after the rising star of Pastel, they have now self-released their debut album ‘What Do You Mean It’s Not Raining’. Never let it be said the youth of today are lazy!
You can buy the album from Spirit of Spike Island.
It may have been recorded at James Kenoshas studio in Hull and mastered by John Davies at Metropolis in London but, it’s very much a Manchester album. Forget rehash, this is a recreation for the famous city from the ground up for 2021.
‘Capre Diem’ and ‘Pink Skies’ are fine clarion calls and, burn with a unique rage. Both clutch The Roses and Smiths to their hearts. There’s a spirit, a raging desire to be heard, to be brilliant and to be loved! The former, sprinkled with the brash parts of The La’s and the infectious moments of Ride’s comeback will disarm the most hardened souls as its buoyant charm races to your serotonin.
On ‘Pink Skies’, they serve up sun drenched imagery and poetry so blissful, it’s inevitable the masses don’t flock to them. Working class anthems haven’t sounded this good since Tom Clarke’s gritty Coventry tales burned bright in 2007. Like Clarke, frontman James Fender has a knack of his digging his heels in and making it sound joyous. No one is stopping his dreams! Where they differ from The Enemy is, Afflecks Palace have deafness of touch. The angelic vocals and feather light guitars smile at the naysayers. All the while, their propulsive polemic strives for glory:
“The pyramid is ten feet tall
Shall we climb it, risk the fall?
Steal the rusty copper crown”
This is an album that far outreaches its Manchester roots though. A huge slice of the Laurel Canyon scene infiltrates its beauty. ‘Ripley Jean’ is an effortless Byrdsian meander into sun-kissed landscapes. The rapid-fire licks and Fender’s Alan Wilson-esque (Canned Heat) vocals serve this adventure well. The accelerated guitars keep on coming via the Johnny Marr-inspired ‘Forever Young. Meanwhile, on album opener ‘This City Is Burning Alive’, an array of McGinn and Clark guitar parts erupt into life to make the laissez-faire psyche of seem Tame Impala extinct.
Then, on ‘Spinner’, comes the moment that will catapult the band to superstardom. Everything you thought you liked about The Lathums dissipates here. They have eclipsed their (fine) Wigan peers’ infectious sound with this bubblegum pop classic. Witty and humble, this heaven-sent reincarnation of Sally Cinnamon via Ride’s ‘Future Love’ is beset with joyous vocal inflections and a freeing nature so pure, its more intoxicating than MDMA.
Some are dubbing them ‘nu-Manchester’, what we know is, they have found a way to reimagine the past in 2021. So many have striven to be like the greats, Afflecks have found space in their slipstream on this debut. How soon they can overtake remains to be seen but, their Destiney clearly lies alongside them at least!
*Images courtesy of Spirit of Spike Island