London-based The Utopiates release the last single before their debut album ‘The Sun Also Rises comes out May 5th via V2 Records. ‘Ups and Downs’, released today follows the bombastic ‘Making History’, can it stand up to its quality?
Artwork and images courtesy of the band.
Former single ‘Best and Worst Days’ was a timeless piece of songwriting that waved goodbye to their early 20s and debauched weekenders. ‘Ups and Downs’ however lands them in the heart of those heady days with rave culture at its heart.
On ‘Illumanise’, ‘Devolution’, and ‘Making History’ a love of dance music has been creeping into their work, and here they let go completely and launch into a rave classic. Keyboardist Ed Godshaw taps into the looping pianos Asha JJ’s rave classic ‘Tribute’ which sends everything heavenwards. Keeping it there is Dan Poppelwell’s mesmerising vocal. Steely and always melodic, he carries the weight of our world on his shoulders with ease as he leads us back to the promised land.
In Josh Redding, The Utopiates may possess a generational talent on guitar. Here though, he steps back from his axe to allow their instinctive love of rave to take precedence. It harks back to Primal Scream’s ‘Screamadelica’ and Bobby Gillespie knowing when his time was in the shadows. The selflessness becomes as uplifting as the track itself.
Click the image below for tickets to their upcoming tour:
