Holy Youth Movement – The Next One

Bristol-based Holy Youth Movement, in collaboration with renowned producer Jagz Kooner (Primal Scream, Andrew Weatherall, Sabres Of Paradise), is set to make a comeback on the 25th of April via Ditto Label Services. This marks the release of their second single from the highly anticipated ‘Shock of the Future’ EP, scheduled for July.

Image & artwork courtesy of the band.

On ‘The Shock of the Future, ’ HYM was in a realm where dance and rock music roamed seamlessly together. Here, they’re leaning into their love of electronic music far more. The atmospheric build soundtracks a hopeful entrance into a smoke-filled room before you lose yourself in sweat and hedonism.

Frontman Tom Newman, so often an explosion of technicolour, remains in a hushed and measured groove, allowing the synths and Kooner’s production values to shine with a glitched euphoria somewhere between Bicep and Josh Wink.

The Crooks – Wide Awake

Chestfield outfit The Crooks follow their comeback single ‘In The Meantime’ with ‘Wide Awake’. The self-released single comes ahead of their first tour since before the pandemic May. Let’s check it out.

*banner image courtesy of the band and This Feeling.

The acute Nick McCabe licks demonstrate that, this time around, The Crooks are more comfortable with creativity. There’s no rush to launch into the attack anymore. These licks fade into a furore of Ride and Chapterhouse shoegaze, allowing the psychedelic menace in the closing stages to take flight. Allowing the devil to rattle around in his cage for two-thirds makes his release devastating.

With his rock n roll power, Jacko often makes his presence felt from the beginning. His snarling but melodic intensity is a rare find. In 'Wide Awake ', he tempers it down, revealing a more aggressive version of Andy Bell. He stays in this lane, until he bursts into life alongside the blistering shoezgaze.

The vastness and cinematic arrangement is made all the more potent by the three-minute containment. The fleeting nature of all its parts elevates it to something remarkable.

The Rosadocs – Stand Alone

Sheffield outfit The Rosadocs recently returned with their first release of 2024, ‘Stand Alone.’ It was recorded at Chairworks Studio (The Reytons) and mastered by Peter Maher of U2, Coldplay, and Rolling Stones fame.

*banner image courtesy of Scott Antcliffe.

Artwork courtesy of Scott Antcliffe.

The five-piece, basking in the glory of their monumental sell-out at Sheffield City Hall in 2023, are now reaping the rewards. The euphoria of that unforgettable night resonates in their soaring guitars and Maher’s masterful production. This success story, rooted in their working-class poetry, is now being showcased on a grand scale, rightfully earning them the limelight they deserve.

Despite' Stand Alone' being their most mainstream single to date, The Rosadocs have managed to maintain their musical integrity. Frontman Keelan Graney’s cadence in the verses skips with Gerry Cinnamon’s abandon before roaring with Tom Clarke’s (The Enemy) uncontrollable fire. With such vocal power comes great responsibility, and here, Graney knows when to step on and off the gas, giving this record a creative freedom few can rival.

Lyrically, the spirit of ‘We’ll Live and Down In These Town’ album is reimagined for this generation:

“When to school, college, uni just trying to learn / Went and got a degree for money you’ll never earn / Now you’re toeing the line / Losing your mind on your own“

The forging of ‘You’re Not Alone’s sonic with the gritty lyrical despair of ‘This Song Is About You’ is one of the finest juxtapositions the guitar scene has served up in some time.

Graney and Joe Egan’s guitar parts lift ‘Stand Alone’ well beyond just the realm of an indie-punk Enemy number. They ooze warmth and threaten to escape to the dizzy heights of The Courteeners Heaton Park triumphs.

Rock ‘n’ roll has been watered down for too long. The Rosadocs, as a mainstream weapon, have given it a much-needed dose of realness.

Click the image below for tickets to their Rock ‘n’ Roll Circus gig this summer:

Holy Youth Movement - The Shock of the Future

Bristol-based Holy Youth Movement will release their new single, ‘The Shock of the Future’ (Ditto Label Services), on Thursday, March 28th. Produced by the Jagz Kooner (Primal Scream, Andrew Weatherall, Sabres Of Paradise), it’s the lead single from their upcoming debut EP of the same name.

Image & artwork courtesy of the band.

In 2023, HYM supported Primal Scream and The Dandy Warhols. Both can be heard on this wild electronic rock ‘n’ roll single. The bugged-eyed glam-rock electronic stomp of ‘Detroit’ and the dirge euphoria of ‘Every Day Should Be Holiday’ link arms with Radio 4’s ‘Party Crashers’ on this breakthrough single.

The 00s was awash with bands with dance music sympathies. The Rapture, Radio 4, White Rose Movement, Kasabian, Keith, and Sunshine Underground are among the finest. Whilst they cut through various scenes, there was a world between the single and the remix. HYM are emerging as the seamless middle ground. Guitars roll into synths and back again whilst frontman Tom Newman sways like Nick Drake fronting Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. For the first time in an age, rock ‘n’ roll’s wheel is being nudged towards invention and it’s utterly intoxicating.

 HYM will release the next single from the EP ‘The Next One’ on Thursday 25th April. On this breathtaking showing, it’s going to agonising wait to see what they do next.

The Shop Window – Blues

Maidstone outfit The Shop Window will release their latest single, ‘Blues,’ on March 29th via their imprint Jangleshop Records.

Artwork & image courtesy of the band.

The Shop Window, a band that has long been on the radar, is bidding farewell to their cult indie status by releasing their bluesy jingle-jangle ballad,' Blues.' This unique sound marks their transition from a niche indie band to one poised to captivate the masses.

Sarah’s Records' beauty effortlessly blends with Carl Mann’s Andy Bell circa ‘Vapour Trail’ vocal, and the stoned melodic joy of ’10 Story Love Songs’ is evident in their latest single,' Blues.' This bluesy shoegaze track cuts through the world's chaos with a purity that offers hope for change, making it a fitting sonic ode to avoiding conflict and restoring love.

The Maidstone outfit is on the brink of unveiling their third album, and if this single is any indication, it's shaping up to be a strong contender for record of the year.

Lissy Taylor - Life Changing

Stoke artist Lissy Taylor returned on March 15th with her latest single, ‘Life Changing’. It follows the news she is opening the main stage at this year’s Y Not’s Y Not Festival. Let’s see if it’s justified.

*banner image credit: Paul Gallagher

Last tie out on ‘Minds A Riot’, Taylor was in an explosive mood and showed no signs of settling here. The guitars howl with the pain and torment that the protagonist must overcome to alter their reality. Mercifully, her awe-inspiring lyrics temper the sonics’ ability to drag you to hell:

“You have the power to change your life / Get on it and come alive / You / You can reach paradise”

Taylor’s spirit evokes the era-defining clarion calls of ‘Definitely Maybe’ and ‘Stone Roses’. Hope is often spoken, written, and sung about, but it hasn't seemed possible for the past thirteen years. With an election looming and Taylor’s colossal power, the offshoots are again visible.

Good luck to whoever follows Taylor on the main stage at Y Not.

Spangled - Horizon's Glance

Artwork courtesy of the band.

Manchester’s Spangled are back with their new single ‘Horizon’s Glance’. Produced and Mixed by Gareth Nuttall, it follows last September’s breathtaking ‘Little Tom’ but can it stack up?

*banner image courtesy of Alan Wells

‘Horizon’s Glance’ bursts forth with the hallmarks of a great Western movie. Like a lone cowboy striding into an unknown town, the acoustic guitars are both weary and stern as they prepare for the fight. In the heat of the shootout, they take Kasabian’s masterpiece ‘West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum’ to the edge The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster’s malevolent fire.

Their mercurial stamp pervades throughout and hits a new high when they loop the chorus, “ was eating vermicelli in the pouring rain.” This repetition, along with the tremolo pedal, brings a sense of delight and terror, conjuring images of a deranged hostage taker and euphoric glam-rock scenes alike.

Tonight, accompanied by The Avenues, Spangled headline Bridlington Spa Sessions. On this showing, it’s not to be missed!

Click the image below for ticket’s to tonight’s show:

Columbia – The Wait

Columbia returned recently with their latest single, ‘The Wait’. It was recorded at 3rd Planet Studios in their home city, Liverpool, and marks the run to their biggest headline show to date at District on the 9th of March.

Image & artwork courtesy of This Feeling.

In recent years, Columbia has carved out a reputation as an anthem maker. ‘Where Did It All Go?’ and ‘Memory Lane’ were chest-out, reaching for heaven’s moments. ‘The Wait’, however, has dropped in tempo but harnessed an intensity not yet seen.

As the protagonist continues to make the wrong choices (“I should have waited / Now I'm here alone”), anxiety levels skyrocket. When Jay Sweeney’s guitars chime, they carve out an inescapable panic attack you can’t escape.

The mid-tempo suits frontman Alex Sheppard in particular. He has the aggression of Tom Dempsey (The Kairos), the swagger of Chris Griffiths (The Real People), and the folksy rock ‘n’ roll splendour of Howie Payne (The Stands).

Columbia are not new by any stretch of the imagination anymore. They are, sadly, largely unknown still. ‘The Wait’ will not be a ‘Last Night’ or ‘Time For Heroes’ chaotic break-out single. It does, however, have the air of a ‘Love Burns’ (BRMC) or ‘The Good Ones’ (The Kills). The kind that spits rock ‘n’ roll and oozes sex and drugs to entice big crowds.

Click the image below for tickets to their upcoming gig:

Rosellas – Is It Any Wonder?

Manchester’s five-piece returned on Friday with their new single, ‘Is It Any Wonder?’. Backed by the two B-sides ‘Leaving For Chicago’ and ‘For Tonight’, it's their first new material since last November’s ‘The Last Curse’.

*Image & artwork courtesy of the band.

Last time out, they moved from the devilment and Nick McCabe atmospheric work on their Somewhere In-Between EP to a straight-line indie-rock. It was a fine counterpoint to their broodier moments. On ‘Is It Any Wonder?’, they’ve stripped everything away to allow their melody to do the talking.

Their time on tour with Starsailor appears to have paid dividends. The acoustic guitars bring the 00s starlets to the fore whilst the delicacy of the piano brings Thirteen Senses purity into play. Above all, they’ve given their melodies space to breathe. In an age where technology demands instant hooks, it’s not just refreshing; it's creatively brave!

‘Is It Any Wonder?’ is backed by the b-sides ‘Leaving For Chicago’ and ‘For Tonight’. The former is a forlorn yet positive moonlit melody which embodies everything great about Noel Gallagher’s songwriting. ‘For Tonight’, completely stripped back, caresses the lo-fi magic of Alfie and the melodic purity of Cherry Ghost, and, with that, Rosellas have proven to the world they can do it all.

Marseille – Monkey in the Middle

Derby’s rising stars Marseille return on the 1st of March with their new single ‘Monkey In The Middle’. It’s the lead single from the GODIVA EP, due for release this September.

Image courtesy of

Last time on the ‘This Dream of Mine’ EP, they mostly enthused the Roses into their escapist fantasies. Except for the closing track, ‘Devil’s Gonna Get You’. The moodier piece traversed the world of Nick McCabe and Richard Ashcroft, thus ushering in non-single material that was worthy of equal attention.

‘Monkey In The Middle’ continues this direction with a mesmeric power. The guitars now drive with Andy Bell’s purpose on ‘Leave Them All Behind’ in the early part, adding a mystique to Marseille’s allure. The shoegaze dissipates midway, and their love of the Roses comes back via the ‘I Am The Resurrection’ bassline and Squire-esque guitars.

Joe Labrum’s guitars begin as a jingle-jangle breakdown, soon become an all-encompassing ‘Resurrection’ meets ‘Champagne Supernova’ freak-out moment of glory! What prevents them from parody is the rampageous spirit of The Verve’s ‘Come On’. In part due to frontman Will Brown’s vocals in the climatic stages. Moreover, it’s the intensity which they impart as a collective. Full on and all ablaze, they maintain a relentlessness destined to play massive stages, not for the money but for people, togetherness, and immortality.

THIS IS WAR! – All Hail to the CEO

Artwork courtesy of the band.

Liverpool’s THIS IS WAR! returned at the end of January with their latest single, ‘All Hail To CEO’. The single was recorded at Faktory Studios in Chester with The Verve’s Si Jones producing and Andy Fernihough mastering.

There are moments in some band's careers where a subtle tweak and change of tact change the game for them. The Libertines dropped their 60s flower-pop singles for an English garage-punk take on The Strokes and never looked back. On ‘All Hail The CEO’, it feels as though THIS IS WAR! Have approached a creative switch-up which will catapult them to greater things.

The band have stepped away from their archetypal rock-cum-punk classicism and introduced the post-punk dancefloor licks of Franz Ferdinand and Gang of Four to make them a serious floor-filler outfit.

The early garage riffs of Razorlight remain to carry their loyal following with them on their journey. However, this feels like a lift-off moment. They have a cut-through indie club dancefloor anthem to ram down the throats of any top 10 chart.

Click the image below for tickets to their upcoming show:

The Lilacs – Hopeless Romantic

Wigan outfit The Lilacs returned last Friday with their new single ‘Hopeless Romantic’.  

Image & artwork courtesy of Fear PR.

Lead guitarist Sam Birchall has moved away from indie anthems with great sensibilities into the trickier realm of forlorn indie. A weariness permeates through, bringing the majesty of The Rifles’ Luke Crowther to the fore. Like Crowther, Birchall maintains a sense of euphoria amid the protagonist’s romantic failures.

Meanwhile, Ollie Anglesa’s vocal taps into Liam Fray circa ‘Mapping The Rendezvous’. Melodic but gravelled, he is emerging as the next indie everyman for the masses to unite behind! With their production adding Blossoms-esque flourishes, The Lilacs are becoming a three-dimensional band that can flesh out anthems with subtle flourishes to hook you in for the long term.

The run of form The Lilacs have had from Vicarage Road to now is making their upcoming tour utterly unmissable.

Click the image below for tickets:

Skylights – Time To Let Things Go

On February 9th, Leeds’ unsung heroes Skylights will return with their new single ‘Time To Let Things Go‘. The single will be released as a 7” CD via the impeccable 42’s Records.

*banner image courtesy of 42’s Records. Credit: Johnny Grenda.

Artwork by Painted Papillon Smile. Click the image ot purchase.

Last time out on ‘Rebellion’, Skylights brought their natural inclination to indie euphoria to the precipice of the Pistols’ filth and fury. ‘Time To Let Things Go’ finds them in a much different mood, both sonically and philosophically.

If The Twang had written ‘Took The Fun’ with Embrace, this single's trippy, anthemic joy would have resulted. Rob Scarisbrick’s vocals have Phil Etheridge’s melodic gruffness, allowing for a humbleness to loiter even as they soar to the climax. It gives this tale of self-reflection and positive change the rawness and poignancy of Ken Loach at his best.

Guesting on the record are Julia Violinista on strings and Ian Surgenor on keyboards. Their input cannot be understated. The emotion of Surgenor’s keys in the opening alone are enough to set any bottom lip wobbling. Meanwhile, Violinista’s strings soar with such splendour they’ll have you double checking Youth wasn’t producing the single.

The single has moments of Embrace and Liam Gallagher’s solo-era euphoria. Still, its guitarist Turnbull Smith’s Ashcroft flourishes on the acoustic or the lo-fi Thirteen Senses indie in the outro, which gives it a sheen that spells an even brighter future for the band. Everything about them signifies a band who have no fear. They’ve seen the promised land; it’s up to us to follow them now.

Airflo - Swansong

Bristol-based four-piece Airflo have returned with their new single ‘Swansong’. It was recorded, mixed, and mastered at Junkyard Studios, Newport, by Richard Jackson (Pretty Vicious, The Automatic, Super Furry Animals).

*banner image credit: Yushy

Image

Their debut single, ‘Drift Away', offered romantic escapism that even the coldest and oldest of souls couldn’t refrain from feeling like teenagers again. Buoyant and carefree, it was the blueprint for debut indie singles.

If ‘Drift Away’ and ‘Swansong’ were one movie, then ‘Swansong’ would be the poetic closing moments of a coming-of-age story, where the protagonists say goodbye to a friend or lover as the inevitably of real life appears. Both songs make each other better. The “I just want to listen whilst I drift away with you”, which felt like a live-for-the-moment release last September, is now coupled with the nostalgic agony of ‘Swansong’.  

Lyrically, it’s inherently romantic, but such is the youthful power of Cam Artigan’s vocal that images of friendships Evan and Seth, Molly and Amy, or Otis and Eric materialise just as easily.  Artigan’s vocal is beset with angelic innocence that will induce daydreams of those formative relationships that burned the brightest and fizzled out the quickest.

Although a song of looking back, sonically, it lands in you in the final moments of a significant relationship. The build is gentle but always intense, akin to the tentative footsteps taken on the walk home from a break-up. The knowingness that, once home, it's gone forever, which, through James Wilson’s climatic howling guitars, comes with devastating effect.

However, Wilson’s lyrics are charming and mature, easing the pain and allowing the fondness to creep back again. With only two songs released, Wilson’s songwriting has set sail towards greatness. Long may it sail!

Click the image below for tickets to see Airflo at This Feeling’s Big In 2024:

The Crooks - In The Meantime

It’s been two years since The Crooks split. The Chesterfield band carried a magnitude before that, that those two years feel like a generation has passed. With every good single you’d hear from other bands, the nagging knowledge that The Crooks had better ones ate away at the soul.

*banner image courtesy of the band and This Feeling.

Last time out, ‘I Wonder’. The stars aligned. All the promise, hope, and talent forged into something vital and, crucially, their own. The Oasis influences began to fade, and emerging was not just a great band but one that could carry the scene back to the dizzying heights it deserves.

Alas, it wasn’t meant to be.

Yet.

Then, on January 16th, the band emerged on social media with:

Rumours flew. What about Jacko? We’ve seen with Vida’s reformation that it’s not the same without Jamie Pollock. Cue this:

When The Crooks left us in 2021, society wasn’t exactly on an upward curve, but it was easier. It’s now become about survival- existing. Step forward ‘In The Meantime’ with its colossal wall of sound and howling guitars to change the narrative.

Many bands write clarion calls and escapist anthems, but few can write songs about stepping off the line in the sand. This is one. As Jacko decrees, "We’re the same inside, forced to fight" the urge to advance toward change feels possible once again.

‘In The Meantime’ feels like redemption for the band and more like salvation for the fans. The juggernaut may have docked for two years, but it’s clear now that the engines are raring to go once again.

Cast – Faraway

Liverpool’s iconic Cast returned this month with their new single ‘Far Away’. The lead single from their upcoming album ‘Love Is The Call’ (released Feb 16th) was recorded at Space Mountain Studios with Youth (Shed Seven / Embrace) in Spain.

*Image and artwork are courtesy of Fear PR.

Pre-order ‘Love Is The Call’ here.

2017’s ‘Kick Up The Dust’ felt like a big moment for Cast. Frontman and songwriter John Power rediscovered his purity of songwriting on ‘Further Down The Road’ and ‘How Can We Lose’. Liam ‘Skin’ Tyson’s live magic began to filter through on the title track, but, crucially, Power and Tyson’s melodies began to touch hearts on ‘Baby Blue Eyes and ‘Paper Chains’.

What Cast tapped into seven years ago has been doubled down on ‘Faraway’. The melody is so instant you’d be forgiven for mistaking it for a lost B-side circa ‘Mother’s Nature Call’. Power’s has matured into a gravel-tinged angelic career best. It breeds harmony and a sense of peace throughout this exploration of a world that doesn’t care or listen anymore.

Power’s state of repose filters through into Skin’s playing. The freeness of his guitar glistens on horizons as far as the eye can see, but crucially, they infect the mind further.   The spirit of the West Coast, Shack, and Richard Hawley’s romanticism ooze through the guitars with a hazy, undeniable reassurance.

It may have been seven years, but that itch was worth waiting for! This Cast classic will demand the best from Liam Gallagher to top on tour this summer!

The Silver Lines – Bound

Birmingham-based band The Silver Lines released their latest single, ‘Bound’, at the backend of 2023 via Ravo Records. Did it stack up to the power of their previous single ‘Cast Away’?

Image & artwork courtesy of The Songbird

At the start of 2023, The Silver Lines released ‘Blow Dry’, which, despite a great ending, would never set the world on fire. Then, on the 18th of August, ‘Cast Away’ was released, and everything began to change. Frontman Dan Ravenscroft found his voice, a desperate rock ‘n’ roll outsider voice for a generation to march alongside into battle with.

Fast forward to the release of ‘Bound’, and Ravenscroft’s vocal is ready to scorch the earth. His ability to inject Jonathan Richman with Brian Molko’s disenfranchised snarl and Joey Ramone’s ebullience is utterly mesmerising.

Ravenscroft is but one man. On ‘Bound’, his brother Joe (guitars), George Vivian (bass) and drummer Kindo confidently step to the fore. Joe’s guitars and Kindo’s drumming, especially, are now beset with colossal power that drags you into their despair before the middle eight soars to the surface to fight again!

There are brief, fleeting, beautiful moments when a band comes along and changes everything. Whether you think this is one is irrelevant. The Silver Lines are going to that special place where sub-cultures, guitars, and being in a gang are the thing to be. Substance is on the horizon and it’s The Silver Lines waving its flag in the name of victory.

Solar Eyes – Let’s Run Away

Birmingham duo Glenn Smyth (Guitars/Vocals/Songwriter) and Sebastian Maynard Francis (Drums/Percussion) are Solar Eyes. This week, they released ‘Solar Eyes’, the latest single from their upcoming self-titled debut album to be released on February 16th via Fierce Panda Records.

Image & artwork courtesy of Sonic PR.

Written last March during their time at the SXSW festival, it witnesses the band taking in their surroundings. Their sci-fi psychedelia has always had a cinematic quality, and, like on ‘Dreaming Of The Moon’ they splice in elements of Americana and classic Spaghetti Western soundtracks.

Morricone’s influence grows around the experimental pop of John Maclean’s The Aliens, and the warped road trips of Primal Scream’s ‘Evil Heat’ as they merge the meanderings of Moon Duo with The Coral’s pop sensibilities.

Smyth’s smoky vocal billows in mystique like all good Western protagonists. It allows for the record's urgency to swell around him joyously. On this showing, their debut album is shaping up to be one of this year’s most eagerly anticipated.

Liam Gallagher & John Squire - Just Another Rainbow

A dream was sparked when John Squire performed with Liam Gallagher at the Knebworth shows in the summer of 2022. ‘Just Another Rainbow’ is the first machination of said dream. Originally written at Squire’s studio in Macclesfield, the pair then took to LA for sessions with Greg Kurstin. The single is released on January 5th via Warner Records.

*banner image courtesy of Fear PR. Credit Tom Oxley.

Artwork courtesy of Fear PR. credit: John Squire & Jamie Hutchinson.

We all know what Liam is bringing. He’s blessed with great vocals and, despite a below-par third solo album, has proven that the fire and magic remain post-Oasis time and time again. For Squire though, he has only written two tracks that have been released. ‘A Beautiful Thing’ proved he had “it”, whereas ‘All For One’ left room for doubt.

So, when Liam’s vocal snarls for the first minute with Squire loitering in the background, the tension building is agonising upon first listen. What is the guitarist of a generation bringing? That pensive stasis soon melts with the rip-roaring Townsend-esque bluesy majesty that follows.

The two giants of the rock ‘n’ roll scene, neither with anything to prove, come armed with more attitude than an Eastenders Christmas special. Liam’s opening delivery prowls like a caged tiger waiting to maul its owners to death. A fete that comes with obligingly when Squire’s background licks explode to the fore with the guttural power of Hendrix via The Who and Peter Green alongside thunderous drums.

Although the track is about disappointment and not getting what you want, their desire to forge this project and be this expansive evokes a beauty unique to rock ‘n’ roll. The urge to reach heavenwards, to kiss galaxies with their psychedelic power, remains as accurate now as it did in ’89 and ’94.

The sense that they have been good for each other in the studio is palpable. Squires playing, sprawling and vast as ever, is given an urgency, a Peter Green and Pete Townsend punchiness that Gallagher has yearned for since ‘Morning Glory’. With a guitarist to match his ability on the mic, once again he can prove he is more than just a snarl. He shows more ethereal and angelic touches to counter the raw power of Squire’s playing, elevating the record to another level.

‘Just Another Rainbow’ is released on the 5th of January. Brace yourselves!

This Rebel – Heartstopper

This Rebel is the lockdown concoction between The Twang’s Phil Etheridge and Liam Gallagher engineer Jon “Simmo” Simcox. The pair first met in 2008 when Simcox was The Twang’s monitor engineer touring the UK. During the pandemic, Simcox sent Etheridge music to write and sing for and ‘Heartstopper’ is the first helping from their self-titled album due for release next March via Jump Cut Records.

Image Credit: Charlotte Simcox. Courtesy of Wasted Youth PR.

In 2019, The Twang released their fifth studio album ‘If Confronted, Just Go Mad’. It was career-defining on several levels. Creatively, it was the best work to date. Perhaps more significantly, its reception didn’t appear to stretch beyond the band's loyal fanbase. Another fine body of work overlooked by the press and radio stations supposedly having the back of our alternative scene heroes.

It would have been easy for The Twang’s frontman, Phil Etheridge, to walk away. On ‘Heartstopper’, he could be forgiven for taking tentative steps. Instead, he delivers a vocal drenched in defiance and lyrics which snipe with venom (“no snakes, just ladders”).

Unrestrained by the industry, the carefree Etheridge from The Twang’s first two albums and the aforementioned ‘If Confronted…’ remerges throwing soulful hooks (“This rebel, aint your level”) to Simcox’s XX-esque music. Together, they’ve made a lo-fi 4am sonic sound like a headline act setting the masses free.

This Rebel have laid ghosts to rest and set hearts racing for the debut album next March.