Tag Archives: Post Punk

BAMBARA: Birthmarks

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I’ve said it many times before, but there’s nothing better than writing about a band you love and their new record. Bambara are one of the best bands around, that we know. But just how great is record number five, Birthmarks? In short, it’s the best thing they have ever done. And this is coming from someone who is still very much attached to Shadow On Everything. In fact, I’m probably still very much attached to all their records. Birthmarks stands out immediately.

The record opens with Hiss, and what I’ve noticed with not just this record- but every Bambara record, is that it feels like a film. A film that is dark, twisted and beautifully tortured. I think that just shows how exceptional they are as musicians and writers. They create this atmosphere that sucks you in; regardless of where you start with their music, it’s a feeling that gets you right away. They could easily do a soundtrack for a film or three- no problem. There’s this brilliantly perverse feeling throughout Letters From Sing Sing, and it’s truly the band at their best. I’ve read many reviews on the band where they are compared to Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, which I totally get but there’s something more here. Sure, compare this record to Kicking Against The Pricks or Let Love In, but leave it at that. Reid’s vocals here have never sounded so strong and the way you can hear him sing through gritted teeth on Face Of Love is just divine. The man has a voice of an angel.

There’s a lot of storytelling on this record, which is typical of Bambara and it’s only a positive thing. The mention of Elena and the one-eyed man means having those familiar characters right away makes you feel safe with this record, but part of you is always on edge. You feel like you’re on the edge of something about to happen, and happen it does. The first single from the record, Pray To Me is the perfect way to win new fans over and get us old ones excited for the record. Everything you love about Bambara comes to a head on this song, and it was such a strong choice for the first single. Any song could have been the lead, but when I heard it a few months ago- I just knew in my gut that Birthmarks was going to end up being the best thing they had done to date.

Something that is constant throughout the record (and all their records) is the influence of Southern Gothic themes and you can hear the influence New York has had on them. You can really feel the influence of David Lynch and Nick Cave amongst others on this record and that’s a constant on all their records, but there’s something else there. Something I can’t quite put into words. The whole record is a joy to listen to and as a fan, it was love at first listen. I cannot wait for the tour next month because they are truly, truly one of the best bands I’ve ever seen live.

With Reid’s gnarly and gritty vocals, it is beautifully matched at times with vocals from Emma Acs (Crack Cloud), Bria Salmena, and Madeline Johnston (Midwife.) Sax is also provided by Jeff Tobias (A. Savage) and haunting harp tones are provided by Marilu Donavon (LEYA.) Blaze yet again annihilates the drums and of course, William provides impeccable slick tones on the bass, synth and piano. Let it be known, this band know EXACTLY what they are doing and how they want to sound. For me, the song that shows just how strong this record is, is Smoke. There’s something about this song that just ties the whole record together, and you feel like you’re no longer on edge. It’s possibly the most calming song on the record and lyrically, it might be my favourite. I am absolutely likely to change my mind in a weeks’ time, but my god this song is Bambara at their finest. The whole record is the band at their very best. They’ve never made a bad record, I don’t think they could even if they tried. I just really, really love this band. You know when you find a band that make everything click? Bambara (and Crows) are the band that do that for me. If I was religious, I’d compare this all to a religious experience.

The record ends with Loretta. Whatever I say about this, doesn’t do the song justice. There’s a heaviness to it that is just a touch more noticeable here than on other songs and the imagery in the lyrics? My god. That’s the thing with Bambara, and it always will be- the lyrics. The lyrics feel like every Henry Miller book I’ve read to death. There’s this darkness, this smuttiness, and chilling tones to it all that just connects. I don’t want to hear typical love songs about sunshine, rainbows and all that sickly stuff. Keep it away. I want dark and meaningful words that actually grip you and are relatable.  Inject it into my veins and leave me listening to this record on a loop. Thank you.

You feel as you take in Reid’s words as he sings at you, that you’re in the midst of a sermon. Well, if Bambara are a cult- sign me up. You cling onto every word, every note. Everything. This is a record that was made to consume the listener. It was made to be soaked up and clung onto with all you have. It’s a record that in 5, 10 years I’ll still feel exactly the same about. It’s perfect in every single way.

Music, like all great art forms, should move you. You should feel something powerful and sacred only to you. That’s what Bambara have done yet again; it’s what they do and will always do. Every single song on the record feels like a short story. A dark and gripping short story, and I reckon it will truly come alive in a live setting. I’m so excited for this record to be released on Friday and I’m so excited for the tour next month. They’ve created something so classy here and so memorable. I just know that in many years to come, this will be one record I play and I feel like I’m hearing it for the first time. That’s when you know you’ve found something very special.

BACKYARD RITUAL: Small World.

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Small World by Backyard Ritual was released last summer, and I’m a dummy for not writing about it sooner. Backyard Ritual is the project of Ian Campbell- the main songwriter of a band I’ve written about many times and love a hell of a lot- Pop.1280. Ian reached out to me about this record, and I genuinely never thought someone from a band I love so much would ever do that! The first person (and only besides this) I told was my uncle because he too, has an impeccable taste in music and is also a fan of Pop.1280. If anyone was going to know how big of a deal this was to me, it was him! Anyway, story out the way. Time for the music.

Small World is a tense and atmospheric record. It’ll keep you on edge but at times it will calm you down. I love how dark the record and how it feels it could easily have been used in an early John Carpenter film. There’s a lot to love and take in on this record, and I really appreciate how you can take in the minimalism approach on this record. Interboro reminds me of The Vacant Lots- there’s that New York feel to the record. I’ve said it before that some bands/artists make you really pick up on where they are from. You can really put a place to the music, and Backyard Ritual do this so well. You feel like you are scoping the alleys of New York late at night when you listen to this record, and you even get that when you listen to Pop.1280 but I’m not here to compare old bands to current.

The debut full length record is dark and eerie; the best records usually are. There are Industrial and Post-Punks influences on this record, and it doesn’t feel heavy. I know I mentioned above that you immediately feel you are in NYC when you listen to this record, but you still pick up on other feelings on this record. It’s perfect for if you are feeling lost and want to be found. There’s an urgency to it, and there are also slight laid-back moments too on this record. It’s a gorgeous Electronic record if you are in need of genres to be thrown around. But honestly? It goes beyond that. It’s a solid record. A really captivating debut record as Backyard Rituals, and there are moments on this record that are truly heavenly. For me, the gentleness in the middle of the record on Circumstance shows just how brilliant Ian is as a musician. The record does start powerful and it is then toned down here, and it then picks up. You don’t know how to feel, but you take it in any way because it’s such a big record. For me, I feel you could easily put your headphones on and soak up this record whilst wandering the street late at night or on the night bus to get you wherever you need to go. It’s a late-night record, and they are usually the best ones.

There’s something about this record that makes you feel like you’ve gone back in time but also stepped foot into the future with it. In its own effortlessly slick way- Small World is timeless. There are nods to Ian’s previous projects on this record, but there is also something brand new here. Something we’ve not heard before, and it truly comes to life on songs like Amateur Journalist and Proxy. At the moment, they are my two favourite songs but we know that the more I listen, the more likely I am to find a different song to love. In short, it’s a bloody remarkable record and one I am so glad I have been made aware of. Imagine going through life, and not knowing about this record?! How boring! How unfortunate!

If you love bands like Cold Cave, Harsh Symmetry, The Vacant Lots- then you’ll fall in love with this one. In just 9 songs, Backyard Ritual have created something really long-lasting and important. There’s urgency throughout this record and there’s so much to appreciate. I don’t think I’ve even touched the surface on describing how great it is, but hopefully if you listen to it too, you’ll hear it. You’ll pick up on how vital and slick this one is.

THE MEN: Buyer Beware

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Since Friday morning, I’ve been solidly listening to the new record by The Men. I didn’t even know a new record was coming out! Now, I’ve loved this band for a long time. My uncle and I both adore this band so this release took us both by surprise. They’re a band that blow your mind with every listen and having an unexpected new record land was just what I needed.

It was their third record, Open Your Heart that had me hooked and I still stand by it being one of the best records that Sacred Bones have ever released. It’s a record that is so effortlessly slick and as much as I hate clichés- it is utterly timeless. It’s one of the most enthralling records of modern times, and it turns out- The Men do not make terrible records. Ever.  I love this band because no genre can define them. I guess at the heart of it all, they’re a Punk band but they’re beyond anything and everything. They are criminally underrated. With their new record, they’re firmly justified yet again why they are one of the greatest bands ever. They just have this way of creating records that fit exactly what’s going on. The world is on its arse due to world leaders being absolute idiots- what better record to soundtrack this all than the new record by The Men?

They’ve been going for I think, 18 years now and there’s no way this band can ever stop. A world without their music would be dull and meaningless, and yes, I know the world is cruel and cold right now- but not everyone is a twat. The music they make is like a guidance or a call to fighting back, and that’s what we need. If you’ve got the privilege of having a platform where you can voice this and be heard- use it. And that’s exactly what they’ve done with this record. Every song on this record feels like a kick in the teeth and is made to burst those little eardrums of yours- and it’s never sounded or felt so good. They’ve got that snarly Dead Boys tone right through the record and I think it really comes alive on At The Movies. This record is heavenly. It’s loud, it’s important and it’s The Men at their very, very best. They’ve made some killer records in their time and if I was ever in the position to move Open Your Heart from being my favourite- Buyer Beware would be my number one.

The title song on the record again sounds like Dead Boys and I think that may be part of the reason as to why I’ve fallen in love and into a deep obsession with this record. It’s got everything from that era of Punk thrown into it, and maybe it’s the record they were always supposed to make? That sounds odd because every record they’ve released is a masterpiece, but there is something about Buyer Beware that feels different. It feels bigger and it feels like the kind of record that could and should win them new fans, and make us old ones love them even more. In short, it’s a bloody remarkable record. The way Nothing Wrong goes right into Control should be a crime for how slick and wonderful it is. What a move!

I reckon there will be songs I play more than others but for now, I’m listening to it solidly in chronological order and that’s rare. Normally I listen to something a few times then hit shuffle. Not with this record. I think to get the most of it, you just have to listen to it over and over, and soak up every word. Take in every note. Let every guitar sound feel like a kick to the ribs, let the drums feel like someone is smashing your body into a wall and let the bass guide you wherever it is you need to go. The songs are loud, fast, and vital. This is THEIR ultimate record. At the moment, I think PO BOX 96 is the one that’s grabbing my attention the most, but the more I listen- the more I change my mind slightly. Get My Soul is a ride of a song, Control is just a work of art. There are no bad moments on this record. The only downside? Maybe it could last longer. Maybe the song Charm could last 5 minutes or 10. It’s the band at a gentler moment, and my god what a song it is. That peaceful side of the band comes out in rare moments and when it does, it sounds SO good. It’s a beauty of a song. Charm is one of those songs that will stick with you for a long time. I really hope this record brings them over to the UK because they are a band I’m just dying to see live. You just know it’d change EVERYTHING. The music means the world to me now as is, but to see them live? That’d be something else.

The Men have again created another masterpiece, and they are showing no signs of ever slowing down. The world needs this band. This record is all about being resilient and fighting back; it’s about standing up and not backing down. That’s the kind of noise we need right now. Will the world listen? Who knows, but at least we’re not alone.

DITZ: Never Exhale.

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Nearly a decade ago, the band DITZ formed, and nothing was ever the same since. From their first EP in the same year to 2022’s debut, The Great Regression and a live record thrown in the middle- the band have made a name for themselves. They’ve become one of the best bands in this country, but also- criminally underrated. They aren’t a band for casual listening. They’re a band that when you listen to them, you listen with intent. With everything you have, and more (if you have it in you.)

In about 16 days’ time their new record, Never Exhale will be released. How early it is in the year to call it as one of the best records of the year, but it’s an accurate claim and I know by mid-September I’ll feel the same. I cannot budge on my love for DITZ. Never. Everything about their new record shows the band at their very best, and it doesn’t feel like it’s a band who are about to give us only their second full length record. This is a record that holds a lot of weight, importance, and passion. It’s a bloody unreal record and it just reinforces why I love them so much. I think any DITZ fan is going to fall madly and utterly in love with this one.

I won’t get into how great Taxi Man and Space/Smile are because with them being the two lead singles so far- you already know how great they are and beautifully set the tone of the record. The urgency on Space/Smile is throughout the record, and that raspy tone in C.A. Francis’ voice is just divine. You want more and more of it. There’s so much beauty in the lyrics on the record, and for me Senor Siniestro is lyrically up there as being my favourite. I love how C.A. Francis describes standing on a snail in the rain and the feeling and sounds it beings. The way this song kicks in just before the 2 minute mark is WILD, and I think live this is going to be one that truly sticks with you. There’s desperation in this song, and I think for me, that’s what makes it hit hardest. They are a band that HAVE to be seen live, because there’s no way that these songs should be confined to you listening to them in your bedroom.

For me, DITZ make the kind of music that you want to crawl inside of and stay there. You want every sound, lyric, note- every element of the music to just consume you in all ways possible. A person could never come close to giving you this; but music can. It always has, and always will. DITZ are a band that just never seem to stop and the bursts of energy on Never Exhale show this. There is this force in the songs that feels like you are preparing for something, they hype you up but at the same time you find a home and comfort in them.

Every song on this record serves a purpose, and that purpose is to make YOU listen. You have to. Like I mentioned, they aren’t a band that you have on in the background and casually listen to them. Oh no! DITZ are to be heard. You cannot just passively listen to songs like God on a Speed Dial and go about your daily business- absolutely not! Every emotion possible will go through you. It’s vocally one of the best moments on the record. Smells Like Something Died In Here isn’t only the best song title of 2025, but it may just be DITZ at their very best. It’s heavy, it’s brutal, it’s eerie and it should unsettle you. It’s the kind of song you’d want to hear during a horrific scene in a sketchy Horror film and something truly awful is about to happen. The atmosphere on this record is haunting and tense, and it is heightened on this song- well and truly. If a Horror film could be captured in a song, it’s this one.

On the way to work this morning, I was listening to The Great Regression and as I listen to Never Exhale, I can hear just how the band have secured their sound and built themselves to be one of the most thrilling bands we have in this country. Caleb kills the bass on 18 Wheeler, then when Sam comes in with the drums to back up the punchy tones of Caleb- it all comes together with Anton and Jack adding this extra heaviness, and it just makes for one of the most captivating moments on the record. It also has that distinctive DITZ sound- like you’re having an MRI scan, or someone is drilling your skull, and they pour their sounds into your ears, and it just swallows you up. Nothing else can be heard. It sinks deep into you. It’s consuming, and it is beautiful. This band go beyond giving you all that you need.

The Body as a Structure is the one that’s got me right in the gut. This is the one I’m most excited to see live (if they play it!) and touches on “the separation of the physical from an ingrained sense of reality” which is a beautiful way of explaining how important this song is. I feel this is going to be the song that I keep going back to. I don’t think I’m going to personally hear a song that will hit me in the gut like this for the rest of the year. There are a few reasons why this one hits me the most, but honestly? No one needs to hear it, nor does it need to be written down. It’s just one of the most powerful songs we’ll get this year.

The record ends with britney; 7 and a half minutes of greatness. The record consists of perfect moments and every song deserves its place. This the perfect way to close the record and it is the band at their most vulnerable. It’s one of those songs that will leave you crying at how beautiful it is- it’s the 2 minute mark onwards that grips you. It’s a tough listen, but if you can stomach it; then you’ll feel every emotion possible on this one. It’s heavy, and it’s by no means an easy listen. It’s one where you sit and let it consume you. It’s poetic, it’s passionate and it’s intense. That sums the record up in general, but my god on this song it exceeds it all. You have to listen to this with headphones on and with your eyes closed. Don’t let anyone or anything near you to distract you. For those 7 and a half minutes- you belong to DITZ and no one else. The build up and the release during the last 2 minutes on this song feels like something is clawing it’s way out of you, then when it all ends and the quiet hits all you are left with is how the record has made you feel, and what the hell do you do afterwards. You’re overwhelmed in the best way possible.

Never Exhale is a record that will stay with you for a long time after you’ve listened to it. Certain moments on the record will hit you as you go about your day, and you’ll feel the need to stop everything, and let the record consume you all over again. The same feeling I got when I heard them for the first time is alive and well after listening to the new record, and I think if a band can do that, then you know you’ve found something special. And you know that they have created something that goes beyond words and feelings.

THE HORRORS: YES, Manchester. 3rd December 2024.

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In 2005 I found a band that instantly won me over. I listened to them religiously. 2006 I went to uni, and this band became EVERYTHING to me. I had their posters on my wall, I had cuttings from magazines of them on my wall. They got me through my first year when I felt homesick. They became everything and more. They got me through a lot, and as luck would didn’t have it- I never saw them live. No correction- I never saw them do a full set. I saw them once support Florence And The Machine at Ally Pally a good few years ago, and I cried. But last night was IT. Last night I saw them in a tiny venue in Manchester. No other venue could hold them like YES. No other venue would be better- well actually, SOUP would have been amazing. ANYWAY. I was absolutely beside myself to FINALLY see them live.

Sure, the line up isn’t the original but who cares? The songs are what matters here. They play a solid range of old and new (nothing from Strange House sadly!) The set had all the hits from Primary Colours and Skying of course. Hearing everyone belt out the words to Mirror’s Image (this song was my LIFE at one point) and Still Life was so beautiful. The newer songs were loud, and unreal. They were like a drill to the skull and released everything you’d been keeping locked in. Whiplash opened the set, and you knew right away you were in for the best night possible. The smoke machine and stage lighting did overtime last night, it was perfect. Faris reminds me a little of Lux (The Cramps) with how he towers over the crowd and throttles the mic stand. Rhys’ face paint kept making an appearance throughout the intense smoke machine and lighting. Also, is there a better guitarist in this country than Josh?

To see the band that I’d essentially grown up with and go through my teenage years into adulthood was something really special. I still don’t know how I managed to get tickets to this one, and it may just be the best purchase I ever made! That and the £30 I spent when I got my cat! Three Decades and Mirror’s Image follow each other, and they honestly couldn’t have made a better setlist. Well, maybe, if they gave us something from the Strange House record. I’d have probably passed away to be honest. Hearing songs like Little Victories live would have blown my mind! I don’t think I’d recover.

On record, The Horrors ALWAYS sound fantastic- you cannot fault them at all; you can hear the hard work and passion that goes into what they do. I had no idea what to expect in a live setting, especially with the slight lineup change. Whatever I was expecting was exceeded a billion and one times over- I just don’t think I’m going to feel this way about a gig ever again now, am I? They’ve ruined it, in the best way possible.

The new songs that they treated us to are divine live! More Than Life, Trial By Fire and The Silence That Remains are exceptional live. The Silence That Remains is haunting as hell live- it’s one of those songs that when you hear it on record, you are left a bit speechless because you can’t get your head around what’s going on. But when you hear it live, it doesn’t something else. Every single song was heightened by how brilliant the band are live. Amelia’s vocals on The Silence That Remains really make it as haunting as it is, and it’s one of those songs that when you witness it live, it massively changes how you appreciate it on record. Going by these 3 new songs from Night Life, I reckon it may just end up being the best record of 2025 and maybe THEIR best record.

I can’t write about last night without mentioning how euphoric and healing it is to hear Sea Within A Sea live. I remember where I was when this was released. I was in the house I was living in during my 3rd year in Stoke on Trent. I had their website open counting down to the video as it was a live stream of the music video, and I made sure I was home to watch it. I sat and stared at the screen for 7/8 minutes as this song was playing and this hypnotising video was taking over my brain. I felt something shift in my head. I knew I was facing a LOT of change in 2009 (some good and some bad) and this song became my comfort blanket. I’d play it over and over, and everything would be alright. I still feel that way about it. It’s that one song I can play and just zone out to. It’s honestly one of the best songs of all time. Witnessing it live was like a dream where you feel utterly weightless and safe. Floating through space and time without a care.

Still Life needs mentioning because again, another masterpiece. I don’t think the band are given enough credit for their ability to create such heavenly music but in a heavy way. Still Life is a gentle song, and again, is another comfort song. Everything feels better and safer when you listen to this.

Faris is an exceptional frontman. He doesn’t need to talk endlessly to the crowd with pointless chat at all. He says something between songs, and only an idiot would disagree: “Free Palestine, and fuck anyone who thinks otherwise.”

The encore consists of Endless Blue and Something To Remember Me By; and what a beautiful way to wrap up the most perfect gig. I honestly have no idea how I’ve managed to sum up last night as clear as this, but when something makes an impact on you, you find the words. From messaging Faris on MySpace in 2006 to see if I could interview him for my first ever article at uni (he did!) to seeing them play YES, and seeing their career grow and grow. I couldn’t be prouder to be a fan and to have been in that room last night.

Last night was The Horrors at their very best, and if you’ve got a ticket for this tour then you are very lucky (in every sense of the word!)

THE BATTERY FARM: Dark Web.

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Some bands are put here to make a difference. Some go beyond making a difference, and you wonder how we managed to get this far without them. The Battery Farm aren’t just a band; they’re something else. Something that we need, something we’ve needed for so long.  There are messages and meaning in every single song. You don’t need to be told what they are, use your ears to work it out. You’ll get there. I don’t think they realise how powerful they are. There are some bands that just make a difference- think of bands like Benefits. The messaging is clear.

Dark Web is a fighter of a record. It’s rowdy. It’s angry. Really angry, and we’ve got a lot to be angry about. Ben’s vocals on Hail Mary start soft in comparison to how gritty his vocals usually are, but you can hear the rage. You pick up on that rage. The whole record feels like a smack in the face but also a call to change. His vocals really kick in on this song, and it’s that raw and gnarly tone that really pricks up your ears. You HAVE to listen.

You can really sense that this was a cathartic record to make, and you feel it may have taken a fair bit out of them to make. It’s a record that HAS to be heard live, I don’t think it was made for any other purpose other than getting it heard by as many people as possible wherever they can. Dark Web starts gentle, like Ben’s vocals are light on this but the last 30 seconds or so- his voice is still light, but there’s something really menacing about it- and it’s so beautiful.

Icicles is the oddest sounding song on the record, and I mean that in the best way possible. Musically, its brilliantly all over the place. The guitar has NO business sounding that slick and that good on the record- you can move to this one. But the heaviness of the lyrics creates this collision of worlds and what you get is a song that just stops you. You have to really sit and listen to this one; it pulls you in different ways and that’s not a bad thing at all.

For me it’s all about the passion, fury and honesty on the record. The most open song on this record is It’s A Shame, Thanks A Lot. The way Ben speaks about his experience and his mental health on this really, really hits you. I’ve had to stop and start this one a few times. Anyone who has had to carry around having really shit mental health will get why this one hits the gut very hard. I don’t see a need for me to write about this song because it is SO personal and so vulnerable. Just, there was a time where this song would have summed up everything I was feeling, and I’d have turned it off. I think the band have created something here that will help so many.

As far as second records go, they’ve nailed it and then some. They’ve surpassed all they did on their debut. Dark Web shows us exactly what they band are made of. How loud they can do, how fearless they are musically and lyrically and how much they have grown from then to now. They’re a band that Manchester is proud to have and claim. They’re just everything we need, and so much more. This is The Battery Farm at their finest, but we know they’ll keep getting better.

Bands that challenge their fans and those who listen are to be treasured, and we need to treasure The Battery Farm with all we have.

BAMBARA: Pray To Me.

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That feeling of a band you absolutely love and adore putting new music out never ever gets old. Last week Bambara announced a UK/EU tour for April 2025, and I cannot wait to see them again. They’re one of those bands that when you see them live, they change EVERYTHING. They become a band that you don’t just see once and that’s enough. They’re a band that you have to see, no matter what. They put on a show that goes beyond being put into words- you HAVE to witness it. You HAVE to be in that moment. It is the most euphoric thing and you never want it to end. I cannot liken it to anything else.

And with a tour comes a new record, and a new song to lure us all back in. We never went anywhere, we’ve been waiting for this for so long. They’re back with a new song called Pray To Me which is 3 and a half minutes of heaven. It’s Bambara at their very best, and of course that happens with everything they do. They’re a band that get better every single time, and how on earth can they top anything else they’ve ever done? They’re a criminally underrated band for sure. Reid has one of the most calming voices I’ve ever heard. You could be having a really tough day, and the second you start playing a Bambara song, it all feels okay. The lyrics are dark and unholy, and that’s why I love them. I love how dark, poetic and twisted the lyrics are. Reid could easily write a novel with these lyrics. Not a poetry book- I’m talking a super eerie novel that messes with your heard, and you cannot help but go back to it. Think Tony O’Neill, Arthur Nersessian – the good stuff. Pray To Me is violent and haunting; there’s no way you can get enough of it.

The video fits the mood of the song perfectly. The close up of Reid’s face as he recites these beautiful and chilling words to the camera- this band couldn’t be any more perfect if they tried. If you go back and listen to every song in full, you’ll hear just how their sound has developed and gotten firmer. They have such a distinctive sound, and it’s one that may scare the listener a little bit but there’s the dark romanticism in the songs that make them so divine. We don’t need those boring and artificially sweet love songs. Give me the dark and eerie ones. They make more sense.

Bambara will be releasing the record via Bella Union (what a sign!) and the tickets for tour go on sale tomorrow. Everything you need is here: https://www.bambaranyc.com/tour

The new record, Birthmarks is out 14th March, and you can pre-order the best record of 2025 here: https://bellaunion.com/products/bambara-birthmarks

CROWS: Reason Enough.

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I have stopped and started writing this more times than I can admit. I have deleted, deleted, and slammed my laptop shut, then tried again to even start this. How do you even start writing about this record? It’s pretty obvious that Crows have never (and will never) release a bad song or record. The 3 singles from the new record have all been exceptional (I don’t think any song has truly moved me like Vision Of Me has, and I’m sort of able to listen to it now without having a little cry! That’s growth 😉) and sometimes when a band releases such strong singles, you feel the rest of the record may not match up. There is nothing to worry about on Reason Enough. I have no idea how many times I listened to it yesterday, but I didn’t feel ready to put my thoughts down. But I am now.

The record opens with the title track, Reason Enough. If you’re looking for the best opener for a record this year-it’s this one. The drums and the bass? HOLY.SHIT. It’s got this heaviness to it that is on a Stoner Rock level. Jith and Sam truly shine on this one. The drums feel like a crashing into the ear drums and the bass feels like someone is possessing your body with electric shocks, and you’re not mad about it. When it all comes together and gets heavier, and heavier- as a Crows fan, you feel this relief. Relief that this record is FINALLY here. Inject this song right into my eardrums. I don’t care about the damage. James’ vocals on this are simply perfect, and Steve’s guitar on this should be illegal. In fact, it should be a crime for a song to be this euphoric. The way it changes for the last minute or so, and the song comes alive in a different way altogether- are you kidding me?! This live is going to be wild.

I’m going to skip over Bored, Is It Better? and Vision Of Me because I’ve already written about them, and I think my feelings towards Vision Of Me are very clear. In 30 years’, time, I will still be calling it as one of the most beautiful and honest songs ever written. I want it tattooed on my skin and carved into my brain. It’s a reminder. It’s a crutch. Much like Healing and Room 156. I think they’re my holy trinity of Crows songs; I’d play them to someone who hadn’t heard them before, but I don’t think I could handle a negative reaction! Anyway, let’s move on because I will go into why Vision Of Me is probably one of the best songs ever written again!

Land Of The Rose is a perfect anthem declaring how shit this country is. Turn on the news and all you see is pain, poverty and politicians repeating their nonsensical lies. This is why we need bands like Crows. This is why we need music or any form of art- it’s an escape but also helps you to see how awful it all is but can give you a little bit of hope that it might get better. Maybe. The way James writes and sings about shame, despair, and every emotion possible. The lyrics on this record are heavy; but with aspects of sadness flowing throughout. That isn’t a bad thing at all- it just makes you think, and it also makes you feel less alone, and odd for feeling the way you do. The songs on Reason Enough feel a lot more personal and tougher. There is still that beautiful gentleness in James’ writing that we lean into and cling onto. I guess at the heart of it, when you find a band that you truly get and they get you- it becomes a safe space, doesn’t it? This record definitely feels like a safe space. As far as political songs go, this one holds some true weight and given how awful this country has been; we need songs like this to really hammer home that things HAVE to improve.

Every Day Of Every Year is another one I’m excited to see live. I love the way the lyrics take you on a journey of every thought you’ve probably had, and by hearing someone else say it- you feel this connection. It’s a connection you won’t get from friends, lovers, families- it’s one from music and sometimes that’s the biggest and most permanent connection we’ll feel, and that’s absolutely fine. I’d be lost without that type of connection, and this song is a really solid way of expressing that. Every single day this feeling repeats and every single day you fight with yourself and the world to keep fucking going. It’s hard, I know. But I like to think it can and does get a little easier. What do you have without hope? I think this song is on the same level as Vision Of Me- there’s something about the lyrics that really get you in the gut. The guitar on this one is of the best moments on the record.

There’s such a natural growth on this record, and I don’t mean from Silver Tongues to Beware Believers to Reason Enough. I mean every single song in its own right is a step up from the song before, and that’s how you know you’ve found a truly special record. The way we get to Lie To Me from Bored is a whirlwind, and it’s heavenly to hear. You can hear the band grow with every song on this record, and you can really feel it in every single element of the songs. The production on this record is unreal too. It always is with Crows isn’t it. Lie To Me is exceptional, and the way we go right into Living On My Knees? Who gave the band permission to be this great? They just took it. Over and over again. The line, “I’m not strong enough for self defense” cuts through you, my god! What a line!

Living On My Knees is my favourite. Of course, I’ll change my mind in a week or so. I’ll call Vision Of Me as my favourite Crows song ever (please see holy trinity a few paragraphs above!) but Living On My Knees is something else. It makes you want to write; it makes you want to get every raw feeling out there; it makes you want to have this song on repeat for hours. It just gives you something that you can’t put into exact words, but you know you’re listening to something truly remarkable. There are heavy moments on the record, but there are also lighter moments, and it’s found on Silhouettes.

James’ vocals on Silhouettes will blow you away. It’s a different side to what he can do, and I think it’s one that will leave us Crows fans in awe for a long, long time. The bass on this is divine- again, it should be a crime for something to sound so perfect. I feel bad for any band about to release anything after next Friday because Reason Enough is THE record of the year. From around 2 minute 20 on Silhouettes, you cannot help but let every part of you feel smacked about from what’s going on in this song. When James sings, “You don’t find peace when you’re older” my god it gets you in the gut. This song truly shows the growth in the band in every single way, and how they have a distinctive sound BUT you can hear they’ve pushed themselves on this record. Go back and listen to their earlier stuff, then listen to Silhouettes and you’ll hear how stronger they all sound- both together and separately.

Reason Enough ends with D-Gent, and it reminds me of their earlier sound. The record starts heavy and ends heavy, and what more could you ask for?! This record is made up of their best work to date, and the opener and closer of the record are the backbone of it. What happens in the middle is that you get a mixture of soft, loud, gentle, vulnerable, anthemic and healing songs. Every emotion possible is in the middle, and you may feel all over the place but the closer, D-Gent brings you back to where you need to be. Where you should be. This record feels like home.

Record number 3 is THEIR record. Sound-wise it is full of moments that will make you realise why you fell in love with the band at the start. For new listeners, you’ll probably have found a band that will become your life. Crows have completely nailed it with this record, and I couldn’t be prouder to be a fan if I tried. The record is honest, political, brutal, heartbreaking, hopeful and an ethereal work of art. It’s the band at their best and I love so much how they have experimented with their sound and made something really out of this world.

The first few listens, I had to stop what I was doing and really take in the record and what was going on. Then with more and more listens, I was able to really get into what spoke to me on this record. It’s obviously everything, and honestly? The 3 singles we’ve had so far don’t do this record justice. There’s so much creative freedom on this record. Everything is heavier and you can really hear in the songs that not everything has been overthought- it’s just a natural progression, and like James said- “This is Crows in high definition.”

CROWS: Vision Of Me.

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Sometimes the biggest comfort you can have is a band you love, putting out a song that just rips you apart. That comfort is found in knowing someone else gets it. The things we keep close are released by someone who doesn’t know our name or face. That feeling of anonymity makes it easier to absorb every feeling the song gives you. You weren’t prepared to have a little cry on the tram to work at 7.40 this morning, were you?

For me, Crows are a band that gently get to your soul. It’s all well and good finding a band that can mend or break your heart or calm your mind- but when you find one that get you right in the gut- that’s when you know you’ve found THAT band. Vision Of Me is the second release from their new record, Reason Enough. And in all honesty? This song should have come with a warning. No song should break you like that. Lyrically, it’s their best work. I don’t think I’m going to hear a song like this for a long, long time. I’m okay with that because A) It’s Crows and no one can ever compare to them and B) I don’t think I’m a tough enough person to handle it. I’d rather welcome being overly sensitive than be told to toughen up. Vision Of Me has this beautiful sadness and honesty to it. You don’t have to be wallowing in your own sadness to feel sadness at the moment. The world is absolutely cruel and sick at the moment, and it probably won’t heal in my lifetime. Vision Of Me is a beautifully written song and it reminds me of Healing and Room 156 from Beware Believers- it has that gentleness to it that comes naturally to the band. I think for those who love this band, they’re a safety net. I know they are for me. I want to avoid listening to Vision Of Me because it is painful but my god it is one of the most important songs I’ve ever heard.

The lyrics feel like a healing process. They are a healing process. There are lines in this song could break the toughest of humans, and by no means am I tough at all, so it wasn’t hard for this song it floor me so early this morning, and I keep getting teary eyed every time I try listen to it again. The video is a work of art too- my god the way it reminds me of Wonderful Life by Black is too much (Top 5 greatest songs of all time, irrespective of genre. Thank you!) There’s beautiful hints of bands like Interpol in their sound and that’s probably why I love Crows so much but honestly? Nothing can compare to this song. I just know that Reason Enough is going to be my favourite record of the year. I know their show in Manchester will heal and break and heal and break me. The best bands will do this to you.

I don’t think any line will get me in the gut like “I need a break from this reality, and it seems like you do too” or “It’s the staying alive that’s hard” do. There is so much hope in this song. It does feel sad, but as I force myself to listen without bloody crying, I can feel and hear the hope. And I get that a lot from their music, and that may just be why I love them so, so much. Their music is like a backwards hug from the person you love the most. When James sings “Peace is easy, and love is easy. It’s the letting go that hurts.” You might as well rip my heart out of my chest with rusty pliers (please don’t.) Bloody hell. A work of art. A painful and relatable work of art. Up to that line in the song, I’m alright but there’s something about that line that makes me just bawl.

The video fits the song perfectly- I won’t spoil it for you, but the last shot of the video got me right in the gut too. That last shot sums up the song in the most poetic and purest way possible. I always think I couldn’t love Crows as much as I do, but they then go and do something like this, and it just throws me. Surely it must be a crime for a band to be this great? I think with everything they do; they will always improve. And I know you cannot improve perfection, but this band do it every single time. I hate wishing time away, but I cannot wait for the next month and a bit to pass, so I can religiously listen to the new record over and over.

For me, I find listening to Crows are really cathartic process. I listen to them every single day- they’re my comfort band afterall, but sometimes, I step away from that and really take in how phenomenal they are. Vision Of Me is one of those moments. I honestly don’t get how someone could listen to this song and not be moved by it.

Most of their UK tour dates can be found here: CROWS Concerts & Live Tour Dates: 2024-2025 Tickets | Bandsintown

Reason Enough is out on 27th September via Bad Vibrations Records.

CROWS: Bored

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I can safely say that whenever Crows release new music, everything seems okay. It doesn’t matter what’s going on- the second those notes kick in, the second I hears James’ sweet, sweet voice- everything is alright.

I must have played Bored about 10 times this morning as I was getting ready for work, then as soon as 10am hit- I was on YouTube watching the video. The video made me miss London slightly. That feeling sensibly left me. I think I was just overwhelmed with sheer joy because there is a new Crows song! On the back of this, there’s a new record and of course- A TOUR!

Bored is just over 2 minutes of Crows at their best. The sentiment of Bored hits me right in the gut. I don’t think I’m bored; I’ve just got a poor attention span. But they pick up on the mundane of daily life such as queuing, settling for less and wanting something to happen just to ease the boredem. “If there’s a lack of connection, I leave” YES JAMES! Sing that line with your chest and more. I felt that. I feel every single word on this one. It picks up beautifully where the Beware Believers record left off. For me, Crows are my comfort band. I didn’t know I could have one specific band that would be it. Turn out, that band is Crows. I’ll hold off going into detail about that- I’ll save it for when the record comes out in September. In the meantime, watch the video. Play the song as loud as you can. As often as you can- treat it like a prescription.

To quote James, “‘Bored’ came out of that cycle of waking up and not being able to shake the feeling of wanting to bang your forehead against a brick wall.” I think every single one of us can relate to this. Songs like this make that heaviness less so, and that’s why I love this band with all I have. There’s something about them that transcends words because maybe, words aren’t needed. Why use them if you don’t have them. Why the hell have I written this? I think I needed an outlet because who’d want to listen to me bang on about why I love this band! Anyway, watch the video.

The new record, Reasons Enough will be released on 27th September via Bad Vibrations Records.

Crows will be on tour from October, but are playing a one-off gig this week at Third Man Records/Blue Basement in London. Tickets for the October/November shows go on sale this Friday, and the dates are:

July
4 – London @ Third Man Records / Blue Basement
October
5 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club
9 – Brighton, UK @ DUST
10 – Manchester, UK @ The Deaf Institute
11 – Glasgow, UK @ King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut
12 – Dublin, IE @ The Soundhouse
14 – Nottingham, UK @ Rough Trade Nottingham
15 – London, UK @ Village Underground
17 – Bristol, UK @ Exchange
18 – Hebden Bridge, UK @ The Trades Club
28 – Cologne, DE @ Yard Club
29 – Hamburg, DE @ Turmzimmer
30 – Copenhagen, DE @ Loppen
November
1 – Berlin, DE @ Urban Spree
8 – Kortrijk, BE @ Sonic City
9 – Luxembourg, LU @ Rotondes
10 – Nijmegen, NL @ Doornroosje
13 – Lille, FR @  L’Aeronef
14 – Paris, FR @  La Maroquinerie
15 – Tours, FR @ Au Temps Machine
16 – Rennes, FR @ Antipode MJC Rennes