Pastel - Deeper Than Holy

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

The Institutes - Colosseums

The Institutes, hailing from Coventry, release their debut album ‘Colosseums’ Friday 22nd October via 42s Records. After a string of anthemic singles behind them, can the album live up to the expectation?

Images and artwork courtesy of End of the Trail Creative.

For two years, The Institutes have been rapidly closing the gap between them and DMA’s in terms of quality fuzzed-up singalongs. Like their Australian counterparts, they have a knack for making a specific tale mean all things to all people. Former singles ‘Something Beautiful’ and ‘I Just Can’t Keep Myself From Loving You’ being the finest exponents of this. The former is a tale of a relationship breakup where a child is involved. The power of the love for the child is so intoxicating it lends itself to addiction or a burning desire to make it in life. ‘I Just Can’t Keep Myself From Loving You’ follows a similar path where the protagonist demonstrates a breath-taking imbalance. It’s a tidal way sent to blow you away! Both songs befit their ethereal sonic but, lurking within are short muscular guitars and Reni-likes drums intensifying the power.

This writing capability allows for such a greater emotional pull when they do hone in on a discourse. ‘Feels Like Rain Again’, colossal in sound, tackles fog that clouds the mind in moments of mental torment. The protagonist’s journey is one of struggle (“I don’t if I’m Jekyll or Hyde”) to one of the finest contrast in music, ever. As frontman Reid Zappa Currie decrees “this is a part of me”, the guitars swirl with such majesty that, it’s as though our hero has come to terms with the problems. Reid’s delivery though is a triumph of the human spirit. Wrenched from the soul, it carries so much pain that you can hear his soul fragmenting.

Their more precise songwriting style culminates in the album closer ‘Better Now’. The third act resolution of the journey trickles hazily into view with early Nick McCabe guitars before ascending to DMA’s glory and beyond. The cinematic climax is signed off with Kirk Savage’s eruption of drums and cacophony of guitars providing a truly cathartic moment for mind, body, and soul.

It is, by no means an exaggeration to state, that every song here is an anthem. They walk the tightrope of mass melodic appeal and artistic integrity searching for new pastures. ‘Inside Out’ takes the inspiration summer fading sounds of Soundtracks of Our Lives to new planes. ‘Alleyways’, musically battles between the forlorn nature of ‘Listen Up’ and the effervescent spirit of ‘Sally Cinnamon. All the while, it humbly taps into the nostalgic mind of people and, reflects upon carefree childhood relationships. Meanwhile, ‘Heal In Time’ is an urgent burst of hope with The La’s and Ride in their hearts.

On and on this joy goes on ‘Colosseums’. This album’s spirit is nothing short of heroic. Its quality vastly towers over its peers. The majors have come sniffing around bands of late, their choices, eyebrow-raising to say the least. The Institutes have been ignored to date. However, not by Lammo, John Kennedy, and Tom Robinson. Not by us, now, it’s time for you, the people to go send them to the top and make their journey the stratospheric one it merits.

The Institutes – Something Beautiful

This Friday, Coventry’s The Institutes release their new single ‘Something Beautiful’. Released via 42s Records, it’s the last release before the greatly anticipated debut album ‘Colosseums’ (released next week).

Images and artwork courtesy of 42s Records

This band’s spirit is unparalleled today. They can start songs where The La’s or Ride might climax at. It’s a sensory overload of love which, in 2021, after 11 years of this government dissecting society, is the unifying tonic we all should drink.

Reid Zappa Currie’s vocals and the hazy guitars soar high but, crucially, they’re never out of reach. As a band, they’re in that sweet spot, we are them and they are us. Their dreams are bigger and in action but, they are always beckoning us to join them!

Much like their previous single ‘I Just Can’t Keep Myself from Loving You’, it’s an outpouring of love they have no control over. Lyrically is where there this song’s superpower lies. Juxtaposed to the sonic, it’s a heart-bursting piece of joy. Even at its most overtly dark, when Currie sings “I’m down again but I wanna get up again”, the crashing drums and Cast inspired backing vocals will take your soul to a natural high. It feels more clarion call than a plea for help.

However, its ambiguity can take you to darker places. The line “I don’t think love belongs to you” is delivered with supreme majesty, blink, and you’ll miss connotations of powerlessness to addiction. Currie goes further with:

“This is like a jail sentence, in the jailhouse / caught up with the hangman and he let me down”

Despite the ethereal cadence, images of habitual reliance on drugs formulate and the song’s sense of hope becomes murkier.

Single after single, The Institutes have grown their escapist rock ‘n’ roll. Sonically they unfurl new pastures to explore and now, their lyrics are taking on interesting depths. As a result, next week’s debut album release can’t come soon enough.

The Institutes – I Just Can’t Keep Myself From Loving You

Coventry dreamers, The Institutes, release their new single ‘I Just Can’t Keep Myself From Loving You’ this Friday (11th June). Released via 42’s Records, it will be premiered tomorrow (10th) on This Feeling and then again on Lammo’s 6Music Recommends show.

Image and artwork provided by 42’s Records

Fifteen years ago, this kind of track would have trickled into view with a hazy solo. In today’s society, who has the time? Wasting no time, they dial up the love on the sumptuous guitars. So powerful is the feeling of love, it begs the question, who or what is the protagonist in love with?

A feeling this strong defies the instant serotonin release of the music and becomes a darker, possibly unrequited, or worse still, substance-related urge.

No matter the imbalance of character, musically, they omit a feeling that only DMA’s can match at present. Even the lowliest of spirits could be bogged down by its buoyancy. As singer Zappa Currie sings “take my breath away”, the otherworldly joy of Ride shimmers upon the horizon. All the while, Andy Hall’s guitars (along with Currie’s) take the infectious romance of Lucas Crowther (The Rifles) to more far-out dimensions!

Covid permitting, this tracks destiny is sundown at multiple festivals this summer! Check back Friday morning to revel in its glory.

The Institutes – All That You’ll Ever Know

The Coventry four-piece have been building a head of steam in 2020. Their escapist dreams ‘Alleyways’ and ‘Heal In Time’ have been championed by Lammo and, led them to sign with 42’s Records. Can their latest single push the envelope further?

With the pop hooks of Gigolo Aunts, they set out on a quest for meaning. Although isolated, they are never beaten into submission. The struggle leads them to the glory of 3 Colours Red’s ‘Beautiful Day’ and Feeder’s ‘Pushing The Senses’.

Andy Hall’s more aggressive guitars have drawn out something more vital from frontman Reid Currie. A desperation to be heard in a world falling apart couldn’t be more apt right now.

The Institutes are a band for right here, right now, and god willing, huge stages in 2021.

The Institutes – Heal In Time

Coventry four-piece The Institutes returned on Friday with their latest single ‘Heal In Time’. With support from the legendary Lammo, might this be their breakthrough?

Lockdown has been tiresome and for many, imprisoning. The Institutes’ return flicks the V’s and decrees “what lockdown”. It galvanises the soul with self-belief in a future us mortals cannot yet see.

The pop kissed acoustic guitars of The Primitives align with colossal driving riffs and solos from their own playbook. Once heard, Soundtrack Of Our Lives, Embrace, the orchestral Oasis numbers will be taking a back seat, your record collection has a new hero now.

Drummers so rarely garner attention but, Kirk Savage’s drumming is otherworldly here. Ferocious yet subtle, it catches the eye like Matt Tong’s early work and has the stylistic fluidity of Reni.

‘Heal In Time’ could and should be their breakthrough. It is the roguish counterpoint to the epoch-defining pop of CHVRCHES ‘The Mother We Share’. Both are equally brilliant, but now, now is time for a band to light up the big festival stages.

The Institutes – Alleyways

Coventry, so rich in its alternative music history, looks set to be offering up another gem of a band in The Institutes. The four-piece, have just completed a mini-tour, playing for Kick Out The Jams and This Feeling releases their new single 'Alleyways' this Friday. (image courtesy of Melli Foris).

They had been raising eyebrows in 2019 with their dream rock 'n' roll, on 'Alleyways', they look set to offer seismic change. Paying lip service to their heroes has diminished and, in its wake, is a colossal romantic adventure.

They've taken the spirit and lyrical imagery of 'Sally Cinnamon' and the melancholic ache of Oasis' 'Listen Up' and made it sound fresh. The only rehash here is, ordinary people swinging for the stars.

Anyone who longs for bands to reach the dizzy heights of Spike Island, Knebworth, and Heaton Park, look no further. The solos are sumptuous universal appealing pieces of escapism begging for memories to made.