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SINGLE REVIEW: Ómoia – ‘Fallen Number’

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Look, I know I’m way too late in reviewing the latest double single from Ómoia but having listened to it I just knew that I couldn’t not review it because it’s so bloody good musically, and lyrically. Let’s get straight to the music.

‘Habits’ ‘is a confession of shedding a past self that no longer serves you, and refusing to be confined by anyone else’s image of who you should be. A story of internal conflict and projected expectations’. It sounds like heavy, and I mean very heavy, emo. It’s full of raging guitars set against a rushing strident beat. It is a almost too much to bear because there’s this sense of overwhelming claustrophobia. The vocal seems to be striving to breakout. And boy is this is a fantastic vocal performance. It left me both sad and exhilarated, and then confused as to why; but I just decided to embrace that feeling because I frankly adore music that provokes strong emotions whatever they may be. By the way this track sounds better the louder you crank it, just a listening tip there.

And now to ‘People Like Us’. The song ‘confronts the horrors of conversion therapy and its devastating effects on the LGBTQIA+ community. It’s a call for acknowledgment, compassion, and justice, underscoring the pain of being labeled “unworthy” and the need for societal change’.

Knowing what the song was about prepared me for something that was going to hit me emotionally hard but I wasn’t prepared for what it did to me. This is an epic track that piles on the emotion almost second by second. From the opening strummed guitar to the first swell of dense sound to the first melodic section to the ;raio vocals’ it builds into a climax of dense guitar that, if your sound system is set to stun, risks knocking you over physically. I described it as an epic and I meant that; it’s compelling. complex and totally addictive. Combine this with the subject of the song and the frankly wonderful raw words. means this song is guaranteed to stay with you forever.

My friends, if you haven’t been hearing Ómoia’s previous releases then before listening to this listen to them because this release is the final part of a build to an explosive, emotionally raw set of songs. Ómoia’s music is so raw and honest both musically and lyrically that it leaves you reeling.

‘Fallen Number’ is, and forgive my language, a fucking masterpiece; there’s just no other way of describing it.

SINGLE REVIEW: Sunflower Thieves – ‘Overdose’

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It is tempting for me to spend a vast part of this review gushing over the Sunflower Thieves’ voices; I’ve done it before. But For now I’m just going to describe the vocals as gorgeously lush and, frankly, yummy (Is ummy a music review allowable word?).

Now to the thing I should have done first. For those of you who don’t know the Sunflower Thieves, they are a Leeds based indie folk-pop duo; although what any given song sounds like can float around this.

‘Overdose’ sounds more like vaguely folk influenced pop with a touch of Indie to me. I just wish it was enough to say that this is a great song whatever you preferred musical genre. Musically for the most part it’s all lightly plucked guitar, except for this frankly glorious blast of guitar that almost comes from nowhere but still makes so much sense it hurts.

One thing I’ve always thought is that the use of ‘pop’ in their music genre description doesn’t necessarily indicate the depth of their songwriting. They tackle some difficult issues in their songs. ‘Overdose’, co-written with Liv Greenlees, “is navigating the unique shift in your relationship with your parents when you no longer live at home; missing them, disappointing them, knowing them so well and being able to be their friend too”.

And, as a lyric, the song tells some universal truths that most of us can, in some way, relate to. These are compelling words that deserve really listening to. For me listening to the song I feel a degree of sadness that for a large part of my late teens and early twenties I withdrew from contact with my parents, and never really fixed that. Your feelings and reactions may of course not mirror mine.

‘Overdose’ is a truly beautiful song; great music, gorgeous voices and thoughtful compelling words.

EP REVIEW: Echoviolet – ‘Electric Red’

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I’m late coming to a review for this EP but it’s so good I just couldn’t let it pass.

First a little bit of information for those who haven’t dipped into Echoviolet’s releases lately; Echoviolet are now a heavy band. By this I mean that they’re still doing complex music but it’s darker and heavier.

The opening track – ‘Playing With Fire’ – really shows this. It’s heavy guitar riffs but there’s more than a touch of psychedelic, or even acid, rock in the sound. It dances on the edge of chaos, ever shifting and twisting. It’s all dense dark ominous sounds that are frankl scary, and at the same time glorious. This is no ordinary heavy rock track, it’s complex and layered.

Now ‘On Your Own’ may sound at times like a mega fast metal track, it isn’t. For you see there are hints of the darkness of Sabbath and of something else I can’t quite put my finger on. It has hints of the off the wallness of John’s Children (the band that Marc Bolan was in in his early career), and all sorts of what I’m going to call the crazy end of my music collection. Wow, oh fucking wow.

‘Behind Those Eyes’ takes the sound of T-Rex, and seasons it madly with the sound of warped acid art rock. That is until it develops into something more guitar rock with an amazing guitar solo that runs through it. And somehow, brilliantly somehow, they manage to make this song horribly earwormy. Through all the random guitar sounds there’s a tune that runs through it.

The EP closer – ‘Constant Fear’ – opens with an edgy anxiety inducing nagging guitar, and to put it simply becomes dark. Scant relief is provided by a chorus that is frankl singalong, air punching joy. It pounds its way into your brain like a hammer.

And look, the playing, the vocals on these songs is faultless. There is something very special indeed about a band that manages to tread the fine line between total sonic chaos and controlled power. The tracks threaten to go over the edge but pull, wonderful, back at the very last moment possible. And the playing on this EP is worth really listening to because the individual playing is amazing.

Echoviolet have made an EP that I can only describing as amazing. This has gone straight into my top 10 releases of the year. It’s damn near as perfect as you could get. You like heavy guitar music, this is definitely one for you. Play loud enough to wake the neighbours.

SINGLE REVIEW: Patience – ‘Bliss’

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Patience are one of my favourite bands right now. You can guarantee that every release is fantastic.

‘Bliss’ has their characteristic mix of the heavy and the light, the tuneful and all out guitar attack. What I’m not saying here is that their songs come with a ‘set template’ because they don’t; this is just a general description, you get me. The track leans towards the heavy raw guitar sound but even then if you listen carefully, and you should, that guitar is roaring away above and around a tuneful thing that’s going on, it is a joy. What I wait for in their music is that point where the loudness drops away and the beauty of the light comes flooding in. And boy, it is gorgeous. There’s a moment of bluff where they hint at it but don’t, and then there it is, ethereal and frankly speaking lovely.

It almost goes without saying that the band’s playing is faultless. The musical journey through different sounds and feels is seamless. I wouldn’t expect anything less to be honest. And another thing I must mention is the vocals – they twist, they soar, they mesmerise.

‘Bliss’ is an absolute joy. It’s a perfect mix of the loud and the quiet. It takes you on a musical journey that’s full of surprises. And it sounds bloody brilliant.

SINGLE REVIEW: Until Joy – ‘Puppetmaster’

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I have to be honest, Until Joy are a new band to me. Unfortunately I know very little about them except they are Leeds based and signed to Monomyth Records which gave me a reassurance of ‘goodness’ before I pressed play. I was not disappointed. Their sound, if this release is an indication of their sound generally, is that alt-rock with a touch of Indie thing.

Two or three plays after pressing play for the first time I’m hooked. There are many things to love about this track; don’t fret I’m going to tell you.

Firstly, it’s as earworm as fuck; this thing has so many hooks you might almost consider it a crime. There’s a tune that’s catchy. And while there’s that verse chorus structure we might expect; it’s what’s going on under that that’s the absolute joy. It goes through a journey in sound – from the simple voice and guitar to an explosion of guitar and vocals that is jaw-droppingly good, to a brief haunting section, and more.

And this brings me to my second, the what I’m going to call the arrangement or, if you’d prefer, the way it;s put together. The depth of this track is frankly amazing. Each time you hear it again there’s a new thing to hear – a stunning vocal arrangement, a clever guitar.

And to my third,and final you’ll be happy to hear but there’s something intrinsically good about things that come in threes. It’s the playing and vocals. The musical skill on show is utterly gorgeous; there’s not a note out of place. The vocals are completely compelling. And although we all know the band have spent time honing this song in the studio it has an not lost the exuberance of a live performance.

Until Joy, I hit musical joy a bare handful of seconds in. This is fantastic. My friends this is a song you NEED to hear.

SINGLE REVIEW: Neoplastic – ‘Minimal Living’

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Neoplastic play post-punk; let’s call it classic post-punk because for me their sound harks back to the post-punk sound of my youth.

‘Minimal Living’ has a relentless driving rhythm, scything ringing wiry guitar, dense bass and theatrical half-spoken vocals. It brings to mind a denser sounding Bauhaus. I said before that ‘their sound harks back to the post-punk sound of my youth’ and it kinda does and doesn’t. This is because it sounds like I remember it sounding but, in reality, the early post-punk of my youth didn’t sound like this. This sounds denser and fuller. and somehow more polished. This said, you can still do that striding, elbows out dance to it like in the days of old so it’s all good.

To go with its compelling aggressive sound, the song comes with words that are equally as compelling.

“This song was the first we wrote after I moved back to Hull for the first time in eight years,” says singer and bassist, Leo Joslin, “It’s about seeing the city in a different way to when I moved away, and treating it as a new place to discover. I was 18 when I left, the way you interact with your surroundings as a 26-year-old is completely different. I’ve always loved Hull, but it’s in a different way now. Both myself and the city had obviously changed, ‘Minimal Living’ is a reflection on that. The title comes from brutalist architecture which Tom [Green-Morgan, guitarist] is interested in. I thought it held a lot in common with the themes of the lyrics.”

‘Minimal Living’ is a glorious brutal short sharp shock of post-punk that leaves you reeling with words that compel and make you think. It is, in short, a bloody joy.

SINGLE REVIEW: Yutaniii – ‘A Wish Granted’

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‘A Wish Granted’ is two things; one a two part song and two a progression in sound for Yutaniii.

Let me get something clear from the start, this thing sounds incredible. Part One is a gloriously unholy mix of post-punk fading into psych prog rock with just a seasoning of hardcore. Part Two is a so-heavy it hurts all out blast of noise. The thing is that I’m not sure the band are going to thank me for that reference to post-punk because they say they have slid out of that. But it sounds so like post-punk bands like Bauhaus – although NOT a straight sound because they never do anything straight – at the start, I just couldn’t help myself. But I need to repeat this thing sounds incredible, fucking incredible. Yutaniii’s playing never fails to knock me sideways.

The song’s sound and form follows what the song is about. The band explain the song is ‘about exhaustion, burnout and living on autopilot. The song touches on themes of intent vs reality, the vicious cycles of insomnia and how it affects you and those around you during the day (part 1) and how it morphs into a more menacing and lonely beast in the night (part 2)’.

And this is exactly how it sounds. The sound here is all about putting feelings, emotions and physical effects into sound and feel. Part One sounds like alienation and isolation, while Part Two drips with fear and menace. The combination of music, theme and words is, frankly, almost too much to bear but, because it sounds so good, I find myself hitting repeat again and again. It hurts so good, to coin a cliche.

‘A Wish Granted’ is brilliant, fucking brilliant. If this is where Yutaniii are taking us musically, I’m on board, I’m all in.

SINGLE REVIEW: Fishing4Compliments – ‘Hard to Please’

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If you’ve been keeping up then you’ll know that I love a song that leaves you smiling and toe-tapping as much as I love songs that come with ‘an emotional load’; this release from indie/folk band Fishing4Compliments falls into the former category.

‘Hard to Please’ is poppy with a seasoning of folk. For me there is something of a certain kind of pop song from the 80s in it. Perhaps a hint of Kirsty MacColl, if that means anything to you. It’s a bouncy infectious singalong kind of song with a beat that at the very least will have your toes tapping or even throwing some bouncy shapes. But wait, for this isn’t all there is to it. For this is music with heart and fantastic playing topped with great vocals. It is what I like to call ‘classic pop’. It is, in a word, fun. And you shouldn’t think anything less of it for being fun, OK?

Look, the first time I started listening to this, I wasn’t sure about it. But by halfway through it I was bouncing and singing along to the chorus.

‘Hard to Please’ is fantastic. Get some fun music in your life.

Stream/Download https://ditto.fm/hard-to-please-fishing-4-compliments

SINGLE REVIEW: Tom Priestley & Martin Trippett – ‘Not All There’

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No messing, I’m going straight in.

You’d expect any track featuring Tom Priestly to have some great words – and this does – but let’s first examine the music. This sounds, in a word, glorious. One part heavy grinding guitar and rock hard drumming, one part psychedelic rock freakout and one part whimsical outro. This is a trip. So to clarify, these are three separate parts of the track. The grinding guitar is, frankly, exquisite; it sits somewhere in the heavy end of stoner rock. But when they unleash the freakout, oh boy. For some strange reason it kinda reminds me of Iron Butterfly and Hawkwind. Doom laden organ, guitar pyrot\echnics to the max.

Now to the words. They tell the story of, if you’d forgive me stating the obvious, a person who’s not all there, somebody who is disconnected from the world. Perhaps somebody who has reasons to be like that or there are reasons they are like that. I have to be honest here my mind wanders between these two. This one of those situations where the interpretation is down to the listener.

This is a track to be listened to properly. Not just because of the words – because these are fantastic – but also because musically it’s an utter joy. The combination, the track as whole if you wish, is mindblowing and thought provoking.

Listen to this, it’s bloody brilliant.

BAND NEWS: Skinny Lister release ‘Yorkshire Belle’, new album ‘Songs From The Yonder’ out May, tour dates

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Inspired by a pleasure cruiser that goes by the name of the ‘Yorkshire Belle’, their latest single is a fitting tribute to this worthy vessel.

Since the 1940s, The Yorkshire Belle has been a familiar site in Bridlington Harbour. Well known by locals and admired by tourists, during the summer months it will take hundreds of holidaymakers, along the coast out to Flamborough Head (and back) on a leisurely one hour cruise. Its history goes back even further too, with the boat being a rebuild of an original vessel commandeered for use in WWII, which was sunk by a mine in the River Humber near Hull, with all of its crew sadly lost.

Explaining why the story of the ‘Yorkshire Belle’ has resonated with the band, Dan Heptinstall says “Having written shanty style tracks about The Amsterdam, and the famous Lynmouth overland lifeboat rescue – ’13 Miles’ on our previous two albums, it was nice to write about something very close to home and close to my heart. My childhood memories are infused with warm summer memories of the Yorkshire Belle, both as a passenger, and of seeing it out at sea heading to and from Flamborough. The boat has helped create memories for thousands of people across many generations, and continues to do so – nearly 80 years after it was brought into service”.

‘Songs From The Yonder’

Saluting this seaworthy sensation in style, Skinny Lister have picked the vessel to launch their new album ‘Songs From The Yonder’ aboard its decks on the day of its release (9th May 2025).

“It seemed like the perfect choice to officially launch our new album ‘Songs From The Yonder’ on the Yorkshire Belle, and having spoken to the skipper Pete, who’s owned and operated the boat since 1982, it was a pleasure to get that scheduled-in for album launch day. It was also great to have it sell out in just a couple of days. Should be an evening to remember!”

Support on the day will come from esteemed folk musician Jim Eldon, who has long been associated with the boat and provided musical entertainment with his voice and fiddle upon the vessel for many years, before retiring.

New single ‘Yorkshire Belle’ follows ‘Plough On’, and ‘Set Us Straight’ (revealed at the end of last year), with all three tracks due to appear on the new album ‘Songs From The Yonder’. Picking up where the acclaimed ‘Shanty Punk’ left off, their seventh studio album will find the band revelling in their nostalgic touchstones, while facing the future with a wide eyed sense of optimism and a warming reverence for what has been. With plenty of harks back to their folk roots and some more tender touches too, long standing fans will be enamoured to hear that those classic Skinny themes of drinking, travelling, the sea and ploughing on in the face of adversity, are still hoisted high on the band’s flagpole throughout this latest outing.

A mix of chest-thumping anthems, shanty sing-a-longs and folk/punk classics, tempered by a some of the most tender and reflective songs the band have penned yet; ‘Songs From The Yonder’ will be released on 9th May 2025, via Xtra Mile Recordings, on coloured vinyl, CD and digital.

Tour dates

Coinciding with the release, the Skinnies will be hitting the road for a run of instores and shows throughout release week. Expect further touring of the UK and Europe to come later in the year. The confirmed dates so far are as follows:

MAY

7 – Rough Trade Bristol – instore
9 – Yorkshire Belle, Bridlington – SOLD OUT
10 – Jacaranda, Liverpool – instore
11 – Stowmarket, John Peel Centre
12 – Brighton Resident – instore
13 – Banquet, Kingston – outstore at Fighting Cocks
14 – Rough Trade, Nottingham – instore
16 – Holmfirth, Picturedrome
17 – Bedford, Esquires
23 – Lyme Regis, Marine Theatre
24 – Monmouth DeVauden Festival

SUMMER FESTIVALS

JUNE

1 – Wychwood Festival, Cheltenham
14 – Beardy Folk Festival
20 – Sign Of The Times, Herts.

JULY

6 – The Gate To Southwell, Southwell

AUGUST

2 – Northern Kin Festival
3 – Doune The Rabbit Hole
9 – Doncaster, GIAF7
23 – Volk Im Schloss Festival, Germany

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