ALBUM: REWS – ‘Meridians’

A raucous ode to persevering in the face of adversity and making yourself stronger in the process, Northern Irish songwriter Shauna Tohill aka REWS has created a gritty lament to hard-earned resilience on her latest album, Meridians. An empowering blend of heavy riffs, defiant vocals and pop-rock melodies, Tohill effortlessly delivers her assertive, cathartic energy across each of the album’s eleven tracks.

The follow up to 2020’s full length record Warriors, the independently released Meridians rings out with REWS’ trademark passion, mettle and charisma. A reflection on her experiences as a woman in the music industry, the pitfalls along the way and the strong mindset that’s born from carving out your own path, Tohill’s songs chime with a complimentary mix of relatable strife and carefree infectious attitude.

Kicking the album off with the driving beats and grinding riffs of ‘The World That You Left Behind’ and ‘Pretty Face’, Tohill asserts herself with two riotous statements of self autonomy. This is something which permeates Meridians. The album’s title alludes to both “a circle of constant longitude passing through a given place on the earth’s surface” and a practice in acupuncture referring to the “set of pathways in the body along which vital energy is said to flow”. Tohill has evidently been mindful of this, as Meridians flows with her vibrant, tenacious spirit.

This is best observed on cathartic anthems ‘Breathe Into Me’, ‘Not Your Soldier’ and ‘Lock Your Horns’, on which she overcomes feelings of exhaustion, burnout and indecision and transforms them into brooding pop-rock melodies. The songwriter’s vocals are the lifeblood of the album, her voice as commanding in its quieter moments as it is at full volume, highlighted at several points on the record. Tracks like ‘Misery’ and ‘Tears Of A Lion’ fluctuate between vulnerable lyrics in verses and powerful riff-heavy choruses, which makes for invigorating listening. The aptly named ‘On My Back (Giant’s Roar)’ sees Tohill flex her vocal range superbly, and will no doubt be a highlight when heard in a live setting.

Fuelled by the desire to liberate herself and encourage listeners to reject the expectations of others in order to live an authentic life, Meridians marks a new era of independence for REWS. Tohill has always provided her fans with with hefty riffs and chant-worthy choruses on her previous records, and the anthems on Meridians flow in that same vital vein.

Buy your copy of REWS’ new album Meridians here

Follow REWS on Spotify, Twitter, Facebook & Instagram

REWS UK Tour Dates 2023
Wed 25th Oct: The Forum, Tunbridge Wells
Thurs 26th Oct: Bear Cave, Bournemouth
Fri 27th Oct: West End Centre, Aldershot
Sat 28th Oct: The Exchange, Bristol
Sun 29th Oct: Bodega, Nottingham
Mon 30th Oct: The Grace, London
Tues 31st Oct: Deaf Institute, Manchester

Wed 1st Nov: Zerox, Newcastle
Thurs 2nd Nov: Classic Grand, Glasgow
Fri 3rd Nov: Key Club, Leeds
Sat 4th Nov: The Live Rooms, Chester
Sun 5th Nov: The Asylum 2, Birmingham

Photo Credit: Shona Cutt

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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ALBUM: Hot Milk – ‘A Call To The Void’

The fragility of existence is nowhere more apparent than “l’appel du vide” – A Call To The Void – the brain’s impulse to throw yourself into the darkness. For Hot Milk, particularly co-vocalist/guitarist Han Mee, the pressure to deliver their debut record left them feeling incredibly lost. From extended plays Are you Feeling Alive? (2019) to I Just Wanna Know What Happens When I’m Dead (2021), to The King and Queen of Gasoline (2022), the Mancunians could always rely on their do-it-yourself ethos and work ethic, but now… nothing. Just anxiety, doubt, desperation and overwhelming sadness…

Fuck it! Hot Milk just needed to be their authentic and unapologetic selves – even in their darkest headspace – and so they embraced the void. Do or Die! “Am I the darkness?” Mee sings during the synth-heavy introduction to their debut; eleven tracks written from the heart, welcoming you to their ‘Horror Show’. From the moment their industrial lead single rumbles obnoxious feedback (“Am I a human earthquake?”), to its infectious “fuck you” chorus, the tone has been set for the rest of the record; anthemic mosh-inducing catharsis.

Flirting with synth-pop, ‘Bloodstream’ flows with emotion; an ode to unhealthy adoration, injected with the dynamic dual storytelling of Mee and co-vocalist/guitarist Jim Shaw: “Now you’re living in my bloodstream!” Ladies and gentlemen, ‘Party On My Deathbed’ is cold-blooded, pre-meditated murder on the dancefloor; an electric fusion of dirty guitar riffs, and even dirtier screams. And none of Hot Milk’s trademark wit is lost on ‘Alice Cooper’s Pool House’, featuring the shock rock legend himself!

Following the overwhelming catchiness of ‘Zoned Out’, the duo stage-dive headfirst into the abyss with thunderous basslines and theatrical anger on ‘Over Your Dead Body’: “Unholy, you’re problematic / All this shit, so operatic / I know, this might be overdramatic / But I think that I’ve had it / So it’s time to go manic!” ‘Migraine’ is another standout track, exploring various soundscapes, and showcasing Hot Milk’s genre-defying sound as it ebbs and flows like a Bring Me the Horizon headache.

If any track defines A Call to the Void, it’s ‘Breathing Underwater’; an emotional heart breaker embodying Mee’s darkness. “We needed to write this song as a cry to the outside world”; an introspection of the suffocating anxiety and depression below the surface. Julian Comeau of Loveless introduces a new voice to the dynamic duo for ‘Amphetamine’, whilst crushing closer, ‘Forget Me Not’ – the last song written for the record – explores life’s fragility through synth-driven melodies: “So into the void I go / I surrender to all my beliefs / Where you go I can’t follow / Got to let you rest in peace.”

By staying unapologetically true to themselves, thriving in the musical chaos they have created, Hot Milk have delivered a debut that excels in abnormality. Genre is a lie. This is not a pop-punk/alt- pop/emo record. It’s a fucking Hot Milk record!

Ken Wynne
@Ken_Wynne

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ALBUM: Alex Lahey – ‘The Answer Is Always Yes’

Following singer/songwriter Alex Lahey’s idiosyncratic sophomore LP, 2019’s The Best of Luck Club, the Australian indie hero revels in the absurdity of the suburban gothic on her latest record (and debut for Liberation) – collaborating with songwriters Jacknife Lee, John Mark Nelson, Chris Collins, amongst others – The Answer is Always Yes; ten cathartic tracks of self-discovery and exploration, finding comfort in discomfort.

Opening with Courtney Barnett-esque speak-sung delivery (“Everybody is a bit fucked up, but they think they’re okay…”), ‘Good Time’ is unashamedly upbeat, with invigorating, fuzz-drenched hooks; an ode to post-lockdown nights out at the pub. Following with Nevermind-era, grunge-fuelled riffs, ‘Congratulations’ sarcastically reflects on not one, but two ex-partners getting engaged within an unexpectedly short amount of time from one another – “Congratulations / So happy for your perfect life / There’s something in my eye / I’m doing just fine without you.”

Ruminating on a tumultuous breakup, warm basslines propel power pop anthem ‘You’ll Never Get Your Money Back’, before musically intimate indie ballad ‘The Sky is Melting’ revels in the drug-induced chaos caused by consuming edibles. ‘On the Way Down’, another sardonic breakup song, is juxtaposed by the sickly-sweet lyrics of ‘Makes Me Sick’ (“I like you so much, it makes me sick and I wouldn’t change it!”), whilst ‘Shit Talkin” gets awkward with bubblegum pop melodies and introspective lyrics.

‘Permanent’ is a sombre reflection on the songwriter’s time spent at her childhood home during lockdown; a semi-acoustic lament crescendoing into feedback and fear. Inspired by the TV coming-of-age romantic comedy Heartstopper – adapted from the webcomic of the same name by Alice Oseman – the infectious ‘They Wouldn’t Let Me In’ follows, reflecting on the teenage queer experience with self-aware wit. Of the track, Lahey explains: “I spent a lot of time thinking about my own experiences growing up as a queer teenager…being excluded from conventional romantic rites of passage…feeling like I couldn’t relate to anyone around me… It also makes you realise how absurd everything is.”

Closing with the ethereal title track ‘The Answer is Always Yes’, Alex Lahey showcases her tender and emotive vocal range; realising that life is unpredictable, but we should always stay positive. If you are saying yes, you are experiencing the world and all its quirks. It’s also indicative of the rest of the record; beautifully finding humour in the absurdities of existence.

The Answer Is Always Yes, the latest album from Alex Lahey, is out now via Liberation – order here. And you can catch her live when she tours Europe this Autumn – more info here.

Ken Wynne
@ken_wynne

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ALBUM: Saint Agnes – ‘Bloodsuckers’

Emerging from the shadows of East London to resurrect their psych-twinged, self-described “disgusting rock,” Saint Agnes have developed “this terrible thirst” for confrontation following the release of their 2021 horror-chic EP, Vampire. Seeking to empower “the defeated, the crushed” – and yet, the ones who won’t remain dead – the disquiet quartet’s sophomore LP mutation is an emotionally charged, skull-rattling hybrid of grunge, punk and industrial metal. Bloodsuckers is one part Dracula and one part Frankenstein’s monster; an infectious do-it-yourself scorcher for the daywalkers who refuse to burn and a defiant fuck you to the true bloodsucker, motherfuckers!

Opening with the titular, thrashing lead single ‘Bloodsuckers’, Kitty A. Austen’s introductory whisper is followed by anthemic vitriol; drummer Andrew Head handling his sticks like hatchets over guitarist Jon James Tufnell’s feverish amplification. “Bloodsuckers! Who the fuck are you?” Embracing herself as a villainous femme fatale on ‘Animal’ through thirsty lyrics (“I’m the worst of the worst / From death to birth / From cradle to hearse / Motherfucker I’m cursed!”), Austen invites her detractors to fight until the feedback fades out. Take a deep breath, because once the bridge leads into the skull-crushing breakdown during ‘I Mean Nothing To You’, you’ll realise Saint Agnes have “got no more fucks to give!”

Alternating between misfit melody and whiplash-inducing groove, ‘Outsider’ is Saint Agnes’ gothic anthem for “the strong and the strange / the losers, the weirdos, the freak superheroes!” Austen welcomes you home: “I hope it makes you feel less alone / We might be damaged but that doesn’t mean we’re worthless / We might be broken but that doesn’t mean we’re not whole.” Whilst seemingly fearless, ‘This Is Not The End’ offers a moment of vulnerability; a heartfelt eulogy to Austen’s late mother and an exploration of grief. The track’s Nine Inch Nails-esque composition showcases Austen’s dexterity as a vocalist, reflecting her still-raw emotions. “Creating this album gave me a reason to get to my feet at a time when I really wasn’t sure if I could. I’ve tried to put everything I’ve been feeling into it, all the pain, the rage, the grief, even the unexpected moments of beauty and belief,” she comments about the process.

Producer, audio engineer and frequent NIN collaborator Sean Beavan saturates ‘Follow You’ with distorted, yet controlled chaos, before Saint Agnes bring the punk-edge to ‘I Am’; demanding reckless abandon with propulsive rhythm and guttural vocalisation. ‘At War With Myself’ and ‘Middle Finger’ deconstruct scuzzy hardcore punk, leaving behind only doom-laden hooks and aberrant effects, before German trap metal agitator Mimi Barks delivers the final death growl during ‘Body Bag’. Closing with ‘Forever and Ever’, the Death or Glory Gang decimate the scene before dawn, sinking their fangs into personal trauma to deliver an uncomfortable, yet rewarding self-produced rager.

“Bloodsuckers forever, Saint Agnes forever.”

Listen to Bloodsuckers on Spotify

Ken Wynne
@Ken_Wynne

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