The statement read, “It is with deep sadness that we as a family regret to inform you that Matthew Kwasniewski-Kelvin has died after a long battle with his mental health”.

Raised with an instant musical passion, Kwasniewski-Kelvin began his guitar playing career all the way back in his childhood before going on to study at London’s BRIT school. This is exactly where he met and became good friends with his soon-to-be Black Midi bandmates.

Black Midi were a London-based English rock band, formed in 2017, and rapidly established themselves as the most exciting new voices in the British music scene.

Their most recent and prevalent lineup consists of lead vocalist, Geordie Greep, Cameron Picton, Morgan Simpson and Matt Kwasniewski-Kelvin. The band released their debut album, ‘Schlagenheim’, in 2019 and it was then that they started to develop a following in London. The band continued to release experimental, cut-throat records; ‘Schlagenheim’ was followed by ‘Cavalcade’ in 2021 and ‘Hellfire’ in 2022. Despite their growing success with each album release, Kwasniewski-Kelvin had taken a step back from his otherworldly guitar playing to focus on his mental health in January of 2021. His absence was deeply felt by fans who only wished him the best, hoping that he would feel well enough to one day return.

Black Midi began debuting their first live performances in 2017, rather rapidly Kwasniewski-Kelvin’s guitar work stood out. He rejected the typical guitar playing fashion and embraced a more jagged and distorted approach, favouring unsettling rhythmic patterns. This is noticeable in particular tracks from the band’s debut album, ‘Schlagenheim,’ including that of ‘953’, ‘Near DT MI’. The album itself received a Mercury Prize nomination, which cemented Black Midi as a new band not to be messed with, and the key contributor to their raunchy, solidified identity was Kwasniewski-Kelvin.

Countless tributes have surfaced from fellow musicians, dedicated fans and Rough Trade followers recognising how great of a loss this is. Kwasniewski-Kelvin undoubtedly held a great influence of the modern experimental music genre. His brilliant guitar work influenced thousands of listeners and changed the lives of many. Despite his loss it is no doubt his music will continue to touch the souls of many, his DNA forever embedded in the band’s music, and his presence lives on throughout their records.

If you or anyone you know is struggling with their mental health, do not hesitate to reach out help is always available.

• NHS 111 (Mental Health Option): Available 24/7 for urgent, non-emergency mental health advice.
• Samaritans: Call 116 123 anytime for free, confidential support for anyone in distress.
• Shout: Text “SHOUT” to 85258 for 24/7 text-based support

DIE QUIETER PLEASE is a London-based literary magazine that specialises in bold flash fiction and evocative poetry. Its latest issue explores the theme of ‘the point of no return’. According to the editors: “The works in DIE QUIETER PLEASE 002 find people and things at the point of no return. A man experiences the transcendental in his inflatable hot tub. A woman returns to her seaside home to confront monsters real and unreal. Lovers quarrel within earshot of a beast. The wrong person is transformed into a pig. None find a way back from what they encounter.”

The launch party was a vivid showcase of raw imagination and experimental literature and music. Readings from selected contributors brought the new issue’s pages to life, while a live performance by the specially formed Die Choir – helmed by Black Midi’s Seth Evans – wove atmosphere and sensation throughout the venue. The energy continued into the late hours with an electrifying set from Glasgow’s DJ Maicol.

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The evening featured the debut of Die Choir, a one-night-only musical ensemble whose compositions were created specifically to accompany the readings. Under Seth Evans’ direction, the group – featuring Jack Merrett of Famous, Danny Sanders, and Daniel Wackett- offered a soundscape that was as surreal and compelling as the words it underscored. Their short set following the readings ignited the audience, sending the crowd into motion.

Seth “Shank” Evans, the band’s director, is a major centre of the British experimental music scene. As a touring pianist/keyboardist of legendary Black Midi and recent involvement in British art-rock band HMLTD, Evans is remains at the forefront of the UK’s DIY-music scene. Evans was joined by Jack Merrett, the lead singer and songwriter of London-based band Famous. Since emerging from the Brixton Windmill scene in 2016, the band have since released their debut album “Party Album” in October of 2024.

The combination of these Evans and Merrett with Danny Sanders and Daniel Wackett’s fluid and experimental compositions and musicality produced the perfect accompaniments to the live readings. The novel nature of the performance of DIE CHOIR cemented the evening as truly unforgettable.

My New Band Believe’s ‘Lecture 25’ is also accompanied by its music video – a phantasmagorical adventure through South London that captivates viewers with its dynamic, homespun film style, directed by Jack Shep. 

Reminiscent of Black Midi’s theatricality, Picton appears to be driving My New Band Believe’s sound into a lighter, stripped-back space, maintaining the melodic and fast-paced energy that his artistry has demonstrated thus far.  The new single ‘Lecture 25’ pays homage to Dennis Hopper’s ‘Lecture 70’, with its swift, relentless flow of words echoing the expansive style of Jack Kerouac. As of yet, Picton has revealed that the single will not be on streaming services, as it’s “not time yet”, but will be “available pretty much everywhere else.” In other words, ‘Lecture 25’ can be digitally purchased. 

Taking to Instagram to announce the news, the former Black Midi bassist shared the current lineup of My New Band Believe, posting: “Cameron Picton (Guitar, Vocals), Josh Finerty (Bass), King David Ike-Elechi (Drums), Seth Evan’s (Piano).” 

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Picton’s new artistic embarkment follows the ‘indefinite breakup’ of Black Midi in 2024. Frontman Geordie Greep was the first former member to make solo efforts, releasing his debut album last year ‘The New Sound’ to critical acclaim. Creating contemporary cult hits such as ‘Welcome to Hell’ and ‘Sugar/Tzu’ since 2017, Greep confessed a sour end to Black Midi, revealing that in their last active months, “[the members] hadn’t really been on speaking terms.”

In discussion of My New Band Believe’s formation, Picton explained: “Recently, I had a couple of days off from the main thing I’ve been working on and spent them doing various writing exercises. I hadn’t written a proper song since before Christmas so thought it’d be a good way to get the ball rolling again. Of quite a large batch I ended up with three songs that had something about them. At first I thought about putting them out as is, recorded with my laptop mic and Zoom H6, unmixed, unmastered – exactly as bounced on when I first finished them, flaws and all. I later sent them to Seth and when he offered to mix, I thought: why not just record one properly?”

“We tracked it at RAK on the 11th of Feb with mixing taking place the next day. I also asked Jack (Shep) to make a video for it, which he then filmed concurrently, in time for a Valentine’s Day release. The idea for ‘Lecture 25’ was to set someone else’s words to my own music, I used Dennis Cooper’s ‘Lecture 1970’, which I adapted into about half the song’s lyrics.’ 

‘Lecture 25’ is available for download via Bandcamp. 

Probably consumed by the mountain of work ahead of them, they hiccuped when posting the dates on their website by dating the gigs in 2022 instead of 2023. So, bare that in mind if checking for their assigned days on their page.

Picking up again on the 24th of March, the band will be flying off to carry out another 22 gigs in Australian, New Zealand and US soil. A lot of Canadians weren’t too happy with the new dates. They were expecting to be granted a visit from the British rock twisters and have expressed their dismay via Black Midi’s social media.

From the 24th to the 26th March the band will be visiting Wellington and Auckland in New Zealand, of which one of them is already sold out. Following after this, from the 28th March to the 2nd April they will be playing in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth in Australia, already partly sold out.

Trailing after, they will be making their way to the US on the 8th of June to play in 15 different American cities. Starting off in Philadelphia and finishing off in Boston on the 8th of July, 2023. Once finished in the US they will round up the tour by an added three gigs in the UK playing at Latitude Festival on the 23rd July, We Out Here Festival on the 11th August, All Points East on the 25th August and a, fairly random, gig in Spain, Torremolinos on the 24th August.

The band’s last LP release was their third studio album Hellfire in 2022. Ever since their debut album Schlagenheim in 2019, the band have not been short of representing their untiring hell. Through stories and hellbound characters they manage to siv their way around humanity’s nastiest aspects in existence. Playing around with math rock delusions and experimental post-rock madness the band dedicated their songwriting to be almost unplayable live.

Their latest release, however, was Live Fire. An only physically distributed album of their live performance in Primavera Sound, Porto. They interpret Hellfire through a more loosened and cheeky manner compared to the studio recordings. The texture given to the workpiece if a unique feel.

Tickets for all their coming live gigs went live on Friday, 3rd of March.

Click here for tickets.

UK Tour Dates:

23/07/2023 – Latitude Festival – Suffolk
11/08 – We Out Here Festival – Dorset
25/08 – All Points East – London

The band were dolling out frozen treats alongside copies of their new LP Hellfire which dropped on the 15^th of July 2022 via Rough Trade Records. Prior to the album’s release, the band played a packed-out show at Somerset House (with support from Caroline) which saw the lads in full swing. The invitation from Black Midi is as follows; “We’ll be running an ice cream van in London today, it’s gonna be at Soho square at 5pm and Peckham Rye Park at 7pm – if you’re in the area come and get an ice cream and other fun stuff – water pistols compulsory.”

pic.twitter.com/T9UKnZsvxO

— black midi (@bmblackmidi) July 19, 2022

The band stated elsewhere that besides the pressings of the new album, you will find; “a box of large somerset house exclusive tees and obviously lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of ICE CREAM.” With the added sweetener of; “Soleros hopefully”.

Tomorrow in London – water pistols absolutely compulsory #hellfire pic.twitter.com/igbBkbhZQS

— black midi (@bmblackmidi) July 18, 2022

Last week, Black Midi got to show off their latest hits at a show set in the beautiful Somerset House (with support from Caroline). The show was quite a spectacle (as per) and even contained a heart-melting rendition of Kate Bush’s classic track “Wuthering Heights”. You can witness the mayhem in the fan-caught footage below:

The latest record from Black Midi was described by vocalist and guitarist Geordie Greep, stating; “tell the tales of morally suspect characters.  There are direct dramatic monologues, flamboyantly appealing to our degraded sense of right and wrong. You’re never quite sure whether to laugh at or be horrified.”

Greep continued; “Almost everyone depicted is a kind of a scumbag, Almost everything I write is from a true thing, something I experienced and exaggerated and wrote down. I don’t believe in Hell, but all that old-world folly is great for songs, I’ve always loved movies and anything else with a depiction of Hell. Dante’s Inferno. When Homer goes to Hell in The Simpsons. There’s a robot Hell in Futurama. Isaac Bashevis Singer, a Jewish writer who portrays a Satan interfering in people’s lives. There’s loads!”

This time around, the song was written by the band’s bassist, Cameron Picton. In a press release, Picton commented on the song’s purpose and background – “The story starts in the desert with two men engaged in a desperate search for missing friends,” adding, “Their quest leads them to a strange mining facility which, despite a dearth of natural resources in the area, opens its doors for even stranger hosts to welcome them.”

“That evening, with zero sign of their friends, a massive feast is laid on by the mine’s cantankerous Captain, who performs a long speech encouraging all to indulge as this is to be the workers’ last night before returning to their families. With good reason for suspicion, the protagonists feign gluttony and consume as little as humanly possible.”

“Unfortunately, as they later find, even that’s not quite enough. Night falls, they hide and as the workers fall comatose, the wardens, overseen by the Captain, make preparations to pump their poisoned stomachs. It turns out the purpose of the mine is to procure an excess of human stomach acid used in the production of a bastardised blood-red wine, sold and loved in the region.”

“After the wider conspiracy is revealed and upon realising their friends must be long gone, the partners decide they must destroy the facility. A spanner plugs the works however, as one of the men experiences mild effects of the poison and the production of acid in his stomach goes into overdrive. As his chest literally bubbles he says what may be his final goodbyes to his partner and the other man is left to do the heavy lifting alone.”

“He succeeds and as they flee, arm in arm, the demon Captain erupts from the burning embers and curses the two men to the hell of crippling acid reflux for the rest of their days. They see no reason to worry though, as they’re sure to return home hailed as heroes.”

Surprisingly enough, the totally obtuse aesthetic of the song, its inspiration, and its story… is very much in character. Just as the band’s tendency to keep expanding their currently in progress UK and EU tour. The band were set to have an appearance at London’s Somerset House to be their last in the UK for the tour. But now additional dates in October and November mean that you may still have a chance to catch the group before they presumably embark on the tour for their net album… It’s going to be a busy year. This is also ignoring all of their appearances alongside Black Country, New Road in the states. You can find full ticket information here.

Also very pleased to announce new UK+EU tour dates later in the year pic.twitter.com/m6e72vQBzv

— black midi (@bmblackmidi) June 15, 2022

See below, the full list of black midi’s UK tour dates:

13/7/22 – Somerset House – London
28/10 – Invisible Wind Factory – Liverpool
29/10 – NX – Newcastle
14/11 – Old Fruitmarket – Glasgow
16/11 – SWX – Bristol

We’re delighted to announce that we will be playing a series of shows in the United States of America later this year. We will be playing with our friends @bmblackmidi on a selection of dates. This will be accompanied by our own headline show in New York City at @boweryballroom. pic.twitter.com/BPsXuQ3Bxu

— BlackCountry,NewRoad (@BCNRband) June 7, 2022

Now when I say ‘finally’ I may be exaggerating the scale a little. Black Country, New Road (who for convenience sake I’ll call BC,NR) released their debut For The First Time in February 2021, then in less than a year their sophomore LP Ants From Up There was released – unfortunately, it came just a week or 2 after lead vocalist and founding member Isaac Woods announced his departure. So, it really hasn’t been too long in the making. But actual timescale aside, it’s been an eventful journey. Woods’ leaving gave the band no choice but to cancel the US tour they had planned at the time, and – because of the band’s decision to only play new music after the departure – neither of the albums released so far actually got to be played there. A lot has happened.

One thing to keep in mind, however, Woods’ departure was not one of malice or disrespect. The group have all openly condoned the reasoning behind it, and has chosen to look at it as the beginning of a new phase in the band’s history. Things change, members come and go, and the jazz-ensemble-esque nature of the band means that this may even suit them. The decision to fill a whole set with entirely new music fits in with the enigmatic history of the band; never let them know your next move. You can listen to one of the new tracks, recorded by a fan from one of the last UK dates, below.

BC,NR touring with black midi does mean that it’d be rude not to bring up a bit of an undiscovered gem in the post-punk world. The Windmill in Brixton is famous for its work with undiscovered, unsigned, and generally underground artists. It gave a platform to so many bands we take for granted today – BC,NR, black midi, and Squid should be more than enough examples – and as a part of the venue’s Christmas livestreams, Black Midi, New Road was born. See below.

According to a press release, the central theme of the album is that of “a shell shocked soldier’s excess and military discharge,” then moving on to say, “if ‘Cavalcade’ was a drama, ‘Hellfire’ is like an epic action film [that] delves into overlapping themes of pain, loss and anguish.” The band are leaning quite heavily into the concept album approach this time round, each of the songs is written in the 3^rd person and “tell the tales of morally suspect characters. There are direct dramatic monologues, flamboyantly appealing to our degraded sense of right and wrong. You’re never quite sure whether to laugh at or be horrified.”

The band’s lead, Geordie Greep, went on to explain “Almost everyone depicted is a kind of scumbag,” Greep continues. “Almost everything I write is from a true thing, something I experienced and exaggerated and wrote down. I don’t believe in Hell, but all that old world folly is great for songs, I’ve always loved movies and anything else with a depiction of Hell. Dante’s Inferno. When Homer goes to Hell in The Simpsons. There’s a robot Hell in Futurama. Isaac Bashevis Singer, a Jewish writer who portrays a Satan interfering in people’s lives. There’s loads!”. With this statement and the hype behind the lead single, it’s clear to see that the band are sticking with their signature brand of post-punk maximalism. You can look into pre-order options here.

‘Hellfire’ our Third Album for @roughtraderecords is out July 15 – Produced by Marta Salogni, Co-Produced by Max ‘Sizzle’ Goulding and Engineered by Dani Bennett Spragg. Artwork by David Rudnick, Emiel Penninckx and Maharani Yasmine Putri.
Preorder here: https://t.co/Ny3e4EbNs2 pic.twitter.com/NOZmPcNoLK

— black midi (@bmblackmidi) May 9, 2022

The announcement also came with an update to the band’s world tour, but none of the dates actually landed in the UK. So for the time being you’ll have to make do with their only UK date at the moment. Featuring alongside John Legend, Squid, Arlo Parks and many others at Somerset House’s Summer Series in London. The 10-day festival will see each night headlined by some of the biggest names in music at the moment, all within the historic walls of Somerset House. Tickets can be found here.

Musings on misery aside (and speaking of songs), one very positive thing that came from 2021 was a surge of fantastic and exciting music from all over the world. Our sister site, mxdwn.com, compiled a Top 50 albums of 2021 list with some excellent picks from this year’s massive roster. You can check that article out here.

Geographical scale be damned, the United Kingdom has always been a hub for fantastic music, decade after decade birthing innovating and head-turning new artists. 2021 has been no different, and as a result, we’ve compiled a top ten list of our own to celebrate (and perhaps introduce people to) some thrilling new British music.

10). Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes- ‘Sticky’

Sticky is an album fuelled by that mosh-pit energy. Fast paced guitar riffs and heavy drumbeats really raise your excitement levels to a peak before it’s really even begun. Over lockdown, many of us likely dreamed about the day we could mosh and sing along to our favourite bands at huge gigs, a club, or even just at your local pub. Sticky truly represents that feeling. The opening track is all about that release of pressure that captures the fizzy, visceral thrill of pleasure-seeking. Then we get songs like “Bang Bang” and “Take It To The Brink” which you can really jump around to. Though it’s not all about releasing our pent-up energy we dive a bit deeper with tracks like “Rat Race” which attacks the callous opportunism of political figures who used the pandemic to increase their wealth. One of the best songs on the album is definitely the collaboration with Idles “My Town”, focusing on issues such as urban decay and men who can’t discuss their feelings. This is a fearless album and an absolutely banging indictment of the last two years that will resonate beyond his usual audience.

-John Weightman

9). Cleo Sol- ‘Mother’

Cleo Sol’s Mother is an hour-long story of welcoming a child into the world. The voice behind the mystifying mercury awards nominated soul group Sault, Cleo Sol is known for her soft and soulful voice. Throughout her album Mother the singer showcased her talent not only through her voice but with her immense songwriting and beat selection. While her album is presented as a letter to her newborn child, the emotion and feelings amplified throughout the project sit with listeners no matter their circumstance.  The singer’s colossal project was well-received critically, with Cleo receiving three nominations at the 2021 Mobo Awards having been nominated for Best Female Artist of the year, Best RnB/Soul Act and Album of the Year. Despite not attending the awards show in Coventry, the eclectic singer took home the award for Best RnB/Soul acts, an award that cemented her as one of the best the UK has to offer.

-Noah Fashesin

8). PinkPantheress- ‘To Hell With It’

20-year-old singer, songwriter and producer PinkPantheress is just one of many British artists who broke out in 2021 with a hugely successful album.  The Bath born artist initially found fame within the popular app TikTok; whilst studying the singer shared various tracks onto the platform. The tracks went viral and consequently the singer was signed to the major record labels Parlophone and Elektra Records. To Hell With It was released on 15th October 2021, the release was PinkPantheress’ debut mixtape and was received with great critical acclaim. The album serves as a homage to 2000s’ music with heavy sampling and smooth lines encompassing the album’s material. With a sample from the classic garage track “Flowers” by Sweet Female Attitude, the release’s opening track “Pain” transports the listener to the heyday of the genre. The track was released as the album’s second single and sired great success within the UK charts. PinkPantheress’ tribute to influential genres can also be heard in “I Must Apologize”, the track utilises a sample of “Gypsy Woman” by Crystal Waters to create an effortless house track. Throughout the album listeners can hear further influences from various genres including nu-metal, as heard in “Last Valentines” which incorporates a sample from “Forgotten” by Linkin Park.

-Sophia-Elizabeth Tuck

7). Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders & The London Symphony Orchestra- ‘Promises’

Every year seems to bring with it one wild card combination that no one necessarily asks for, or maybe even considered. 2021, a year that never seemed to do anything in half measures anyway, delivered to us one of the best curveballs in a good while; Manchester’s own IDM maestro Floating Points takes us on an ambient journey with backing from The London Symphony Orchestra to give us a new Modern Classical gem. But… the addition of John Coltrane alum Pharoah Sanders takes us from a progressive piece of electronic joy, to a minimalist chamber jazz movement that is absolutely greater than the sum of its parts. The 3 collaborators elevate each other in such a way that it absolutely worth investing 45 minutes of your time, and a bit of cash for a decent pair of headphones, to fully absorb the interstellar encounter. My first experience with a new oxymoronic genre, grand-minimalism. 

-George Carter

6). Little Simz- ‘Sometimes I Might Be Introvert’

It is through no luck or coincidence that SIMBI has been featured on almost every end of year list you can care to name. Any assumption that she peaked with GREY Area was put out within seconds of her 2021 release, with Simz somehow coming back stronger after an imponderably strong 2019 release. Laid over a dizzying myriad of styles, Simz impresses with a mature flow, laden with story-telling sensibilities and quotable, declarative statements on life, love, and the pursuit of happiness. Refusing to be pigeon-holed into one style or another, she shifts energies like outfits, from the gritty heaviness of “Speed” and “Rollin Stone”, to the blissful serenity of “I See You” and “Woman”, and again to the soulful, Afrobeat influenced ‘Point and Kill’ and “Fear No Man” toward the end, spitting over Afrika 70-esque beats that would entice a murmur from the late, great Tony Allen. There surely is something for everyone on this record, making it difficult to identify a leading single, a stand-out track, or even a track which typifies the album. With SIMBI, pieces form the whole, making it necessary to listen to the album, cover to cover, just like the old days. 

-Charlie Walker

5). black midi- ‘Cavalcade’

Following on from their explosive art rock/noise-rock/post-punk/post-everything debut Schlagenheim, London’s black midi ventured into slightly more prog-rock oriented territory with their second record, whilst also managing to avoid shedding their quirks and eccentricities that made them so terribly exciting in the first place. The riffing is still unpredictable, jagged and dissonant in many places, especially with the addition of saxophonist Kaidi Akinnibi and pianist/keyboardist Seth Evans, who add a whole new dimension to the group’s sound. Like a book penned by a master storyteller, the record gives the listener something unexpected and fresh with each song; from the screaming John Zorn-esque saxophone that meanders through “Slow” to the earworm bass guitar riff that grumbles beneath Geordie Greep’s accentuated, theatrical vocal delivery on “Dethroned”. Amidst a slew of creative experimental rockers coming out of the UK, black midi have proved once again that they are up there with the best of them.

-Julian Harding

4). Squid- ‘Bright Green Field’

Another crucial band in the UK’s roster of groups who undoubtedly have had every “post” label under the sun applied to their idiosyncratic and experimental sound would be Squid, hailing from Brighton. To put Squid into one box would be a pointless exercise, as with this ambitious debut full-length record the band has shown masterful control of blending their influences, in such a way that each track is a surprising and sometimes dizzying rollercoaster ride through a myriad of different genres. Drummer and vocalist Ollie Judge’s dynamic delivery of tales of dystopia in “G.S.K.” and musings on death by reckless driving in “Boy Racers” are captivating and reflect each and every lyric, whether he is howling in frustration or mumbling underneath an atmospheric drone. The guitars on the album are often defined by a glassy clean tone, spitting out math-rock inspired riffs with more than a hint of jazz influence at times, while an array of other instruments drop in and out to add to the experimental chaos. This stunning debut displays a clear and carefully crafted development from Squid’s pure post-punk beginnings, making the group one to watch for any experimental rock fan.

-Julian Harding

3). James Blake- ‘Friends That Break Your Heart’

James Blake’s Friends That Break Your Heart has to be on this list for a number of reasons, too many to count here. Suffice to say, everything just works perfectly. Opening up for a much more pop-style than he’d allowed himself in recent years, the album’s production is filled with this low-key intensity that makes the most out of every tiny detail, every sound allowed to shimmer and shine through the murk. With brilliant songwriting that combines his talent for memorable tunes and rich, emotionally nuanced harmony, the album doesn’t need to rely on production alone to have an impact. And then there’s that voice. That moment in “Say What You Will“ when he holds the highest note, yet remains tender and restrained, with the backing vocals continuing to circle around beneath him. If that’s not among the most beautiful moments in pop today, then I don’t know what is.

-Calum Moran

2). Sam Fender- ‘Seventeen Going Under’

Seventeen Going Under is one the most real and relatable albums released this year. While the primary musical influence of Springsteen is still clearly remains, Fender tells his own stories and creates his own motifs rather than borrowing common themes used by the Boss. Though there are still elements of this Fender executes it with his own now more developed and unique style. The opening title track incorporates a folk-inflected guitar motif and stripped-down drum beat that underpins Fender’s precise and evocative lyrics looking back on his teenage years. He returns to the subject of toxic masculinity previously explored on his debut album, the singer traces the links between violence and unresolved anger, while also reflecting truthfully and angrily on the brutal impact of a Department of Work and Pensions decision on his family. Fender’s ability to lay bare the conflicts and issues of masculinity in the 21st century is an almost unflinching approach to an often-taboo subject area. He has really developed his own lyrical style, shedding some of the more obvious Springsteen narrative motifs in the process.

-John Weightman

1). Black Country, New Road- ‘For The First Time’

Post-punk, post-Brexit new wave, experimental-rock, call it whatever you will. But no other group sums up the creative intelligence, anti-establishment attitude, or conspicuous self-awareness of the movement better than “Black Country, New Road” and their stunning debut For the First Time. This is a record that feels exciting, and despite coming out only three years after their arrival on the scene, it sounds sharp. Sharp like a band that have been honing their sounds for years. Because of this it’s hard to tell if the group will ever sound like this again. Isaac Wood’s droll wit is anxious to the core, and when paired with the obtuse, angular foundations from the rest of the band; it just sounds like lightning in a bottle. This is undeniably some of the most exciting music you’ll hear all year, it feels encompassing and unlimited in its creative direction. The fact this is their debut still shocks me. 

-George Carter