It’s nearly a year now since I last spoke to the Malarkey boys on their career and in that time a lot has happened. Mike Eaton, the band’s drummer, had gone, to be replaced by a new drummer for a short while, only to return triumphantly a few months ago.
Following a successful charity gig at Matt Fest at The Birley and Everyone’s Festival on the outdoor Manor Fields, the band returned to the process of song writing.
Here we have the result of that work, a double A side of two new tracks.
Sweetest Smile starts proceedings with an intricate acoustic intro from David, as James weaves haunting, delicate vocals to juxtapose with the music. If I had to state any influence here, I would instantly think of The Cure, the instrumental, more than the vocal, inducing that thought. The track is a throwback to the 80s, although none the worse for it.
The video, shot by Liam Fretwell, gives a nod at Oasis’s ‘Wonderwall’ for its simplistic nature. We see the band chilling in the garden on a beautifully sunny day, while effortlessly creating a winning song.
On the flip side, Broken Bones is a different beast altogether. Lead guitarist David Logan unleashes a controlled anger and brutality that few who know him could imagine. We see Malarkey touch on American Garage territory with more than a hint to the Stooges and a big hint of Brit Pop in there. The band’s bass player, Stephen Higgins begins proceedings driving the track with a monotone bassline, which just happens to sound like Department S’s ‘Is Vic There’. James Clinton really lets loose on this track, which suits his dialect and throaty style, and he spits and accentuates the words perfectly. I see this as another string in Malarkey’s bow, indeed, another direction in which to turn. Seeing their darker side is a pleasant surprise indeed.
The band, launch at Plug on Friday 25th of November, the day of release. The single is available in digital format only on all good download and streaming sites.
Filed under: Music
Comments