This song is a sort of companion piece to 3 Days of Wonder’s track “Younger Days” and is the follow-up single to “Maniacs”. I’ve been following the band since seeing them play at HMV Live and at their impressive set at Bomba during the Music in Devon Initiative awards in 2023.I was impressed by this energetic young band, and since then, they have worked hard on their songwriting and live playing chops. More and more people are coming on board to support this excellent and improving Devon-based band.
The feel of this song is slightly reminiscent of Emo’s peak popularity in the 2000s but with a more friendly, engaging and outward-looking feel. Poppy and summery, the guitars sound really big on the choruses, seriously well played and mixed, heavy without being hard-rock and carry the upbeat vibe of the song well.
The verses drop the energy down to give the song variety and room to breathe, and the arpeggiated guitar picking is intricate, clever and reminiscent of the more well-produced 80s rock. To me, this sits somewhere between Def Leppard and the Smiths – an unlikely-sounding but tasteful thing that has a good flavour in this context.
The lyrics of this power-pop anthem addresses self-awareness of one’s destructive streak but in a positive way. It’s not just teenagers who have these feelings: many of us who are a bit (!) older also need to work on recognising “interesting” character traits and deal with them in an empowering way. When Luke sings “I try to stitch my pieces back together” he is self advocating in a healthy way and showing resilience to life’s challenges. There are many songs out there dealing with this theme but pleasingly this one avoids the trap of whining and is more about self-empowerment via the empathy of others in your life. This is who I am: I make mistakes and things sometimes break but ultimately things will be OK.Luke’s vocals have developed a more profound feel, deep and earnest. This adds sincerity, underlining the message of the song in which serious thoughts and feelings lead to personal revelation and resolutions.
And, oh my God, that chorus is catchy! I’m a sucker for harmonies and these are really well arranged low in the mix to emphasise Luke’s vocals so that the chorus doesn’t become a duet. The standout moment for me is the high vocal harmony on the middle 8. So high, and the lads are to be commended for doing this without shrieking or resorting to that annoying falsetto that far too many acts use since Coldplay and then Bon Iver made it popular.
I imagine that a balloon of helium may be needed to nail this section when they play this one live, and talking of live: this one will get any crowd on-side at next summer’s festivals, guaranteed. Tasteful, clever and really engaging – this listener wanted to play it all again especially as it is a short, sharp, whip-smart and happy-sounding track with a message about deep feelings.
A quality “heavy-pop” track from a quality young band that just gets better and better – this one deserves to be widely heard on radio stations, live venues and festival stages.
Words: Stu Pearce (No Ordinary Fish)
