Release Spotlight Series - June/July 2020
1: Pebbles – Scruffy Bear
Victor Hugo once famously said: “There is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come….of course with the exception of Scruffy Bear vocalist Georgie Eaton” [true story/citation needed], who remains completely unforgettable and unrivalled in their new track, Pebbles, coming to streaming sites on the 6th. The claim of being influenced by 70s legends Led Zepplin is a common one, but to actually live up to that hype is no easy feat. Yet, I present to you a voice that will give any classic/heavy rock fans goosebumps. Scruffy Bear have had a fair share of line-up changes but, at their creative core, Sass Lafferty and Georgie have kept the style; kept the passion and Pebbles broadcasts their renewed energy and excitement for the return of gigging life, despite its sombre lyrical overtones.
2: Survival - The Elephant Trees
Continuing my theme of being late to the party, June saw another well needed release from my friends in The Elephant Trees with their single Survival. I caught the track for the first time at their headline show back in November, and fell in love with the raw emotion expressed from start to finish. Martha’s lyrics have never been for the faint of heart, but with this instalment we see her anger and frustration at the state of our world poured into a feminist/social/anti-bojo blender. along with their newly signature synth bops and Sam’s kick-ass guitar, which is especially ass-kicking as we hear our first Elephant Trees breakdown on record.
In conversation with Sam over a socially-distanced takeaway pint of Punk IPA, he told me the song came together like a dream; as he and Tom wrote the rhythm and bass, Martha burst in with her rap and rage and everything clicked together. Survival is available on all good music sites, and has been one of my most anticipated releases this year, second only to their next single, Heroine, for which I have an anecdote that I’ll save for the next review. See their page for more info!
Photography by Kate Bannister
3: The Only Home We Know - Where Oceans Burn
A change of pace; a change of space. The blockbuster stadium metal core act you've never heard of: Where Oceans Burn continue their streak of high-fidelity, brain/ear/face-melting vibrations with their third single, 'The Only Home We Know'.
Their past releases consist of two polarising tracks - one darker and one more mainstream - however TOHEK sees a combination of both; punching verses and soaring choruses. Versatility is a welcome feature that WOB hold above many of their competitors. Ross Coey's clean vocals add a brilliant contrast to Alex Wilkinson's grit, all kept together by human-metronome Callum Osbaldiston, who's drumming is so spot on he is often mistaken for being a programmed robot.
I can't talk about their musical abilities without mentioning Ben Charleston's raw conviction and dedication to the project that has seen their work pinned at peak performance consistently. The effort and production that is put into every aspect of their work is unrivalled by any artists at their level, and it is no surprise that they have launched into their career with a stunning 350,000 total Spotify streams over the year (+a bit) that they have been public.
My time with members Ross and Ben, who I consider good friends, has given me a good insight into the blood, sweat and tears that the live scene requires of an artist. WOB are 110% in every aspect of their career and daily lives and are an inspiration to the Manchester music scene.
The metalcore genre is a place I usually steer clear of due to its machine-like perfection and highly critical fanbase. Maybe I'm biased, but I feel that WOB have a real potential to channel their personality as a band and come through what, in my eyes, is a very brutal genre in more than just sound. I would like to see more of this side of them evolve throughout their future career.
Photography by Clearway Media