Liverpool’s prolific THIS IS WAR are back with their new single ‘Laces’.
In 2022, the band set out to release a single a month. There were moments to enjoy in them all but they peaked when the urgency and danger levels stepped up on ‘Exile Poet’, ‘Pyramids’ and ‘Crossfire Fever’.
Artwork courtesy of the band.
When their EP ‘Rotten’ dropped this year the expectation of distorted bluesy-cum-post punk anthems grew. To an extent, on ‘Rotten’ and ‘Waves Of Love’ this febrile need was met. However, both had a brevity that wasn’t present previously. Then, on ‘Promised Land’, they stripped back the aggression to show a lighter, but no less meaningful side of their arsenal.
Allowing space for their talents to percolate has continued on ‘Laces’. Frontman Paul Carden’s reflective lyrics stomp toward unknown pastures, searching for meaning. It allows the guitars to jangle with the chaotic hope of early Razorlight the romanticism for youth of Pete Townsend.
Despite the sonic breathing space, masterfully, the urgency of 2022 is back. There’s a vitality to every aspect of this record that demands teenage obsession!