Review: Dan Maynard
The UK is one of those countries that seems to be a breeding pool for exceptional musicians. From as far back as Liverpool’s finest export, The Beatles, Birmingham producing Sabbath, the band that would go on to change the landscape of rock and metal genres as we know it today. The Prodigy, Maiden, The Streets, The Wombats…. an absolute sea of some of the best from Indie, House, Prog and everything between. Britain is truly one of the greatest countries for musical foundations. Sometimes that can also make it hard for bands to shine amongst the vast options of great music. But one band that is doing exactly that is Unpeople.
I’m relatively fresh to Unpeople. I’m just inside my first year of having discovered them, but from the moment Smother first came on during a Spotify shuffle session, I became utterly obsessed. The moment I was pulled over next in the work ute, I started messaging anyone and everyone who I thought would feel the same. I listened to the EP about 6 times that day. Then continued that same routine daily. But after some socials scrolling and investigating, I went on to discover that Unpeople have been on the rise in the UK and Europe for a few years now, slugging away and building a reputable fan base that has found them landing some incredible supports and festival slots, including their recent slot on the Download lineup.
Now I sit here with an early copy of their debut album We Are Unpeople and my initial obsession has once again taken a stronghold on me.
Opening track Clouds was the first single to be released a few months back and boy, this is the perfect song to open the album. I still think that Clouds might be one of the most well written songs I’ve ever heard on so many levels. Not only does it capture the band’s sound across every aspect, it also sums up what the album goes on to deliver. Most notably, the vocal harmonies. I do believe in my heart of hearts that no other band impresses me more with their understanding of vocal layering and harmonisation and Clouds is a great example of that. Jumping between genres flawlessly, from the upbeat fun rock vibes to a bridge that could be straight out of an early Devin Townsend album, it never feels forced or out of place. And that goes for the rest of the album.
I won’t go too hard into the nitty gritty of each track. This is an album that needs to be put on from the beginning and played right through to the very end. So I would like to keep some mystery for the listeners. But I will hit on a couple of tracks.
Blueprints, the latest of single releases. The only song to not hit a heavy note throughout its entirety. This song could have been released in the late 90s, early 00s and fit in perfectly. It’s like the absolute best of Weezer all in one single song. Sitting midway in the album, it slides in as that ‘cleanse the palate’ track in amongst the moments of chaos, heavy and loud rock across the album.
Kangareuben, the exact opposite of Blueprints. A chaotic mess of perfection. A rock anthem chorus sandwiched between thrashy punk verses and a proggy bridge that leads into an even heavier bridge and into a balls to the wall sludgy outro. I honestly don’t know how else to sum up this track, but it is hands down one of the standouts. And if I ever get a chance to interview them, I will most definitely be asking what on earth that title is, cause when I google it all I get is Kangaroos and games about unmasking ICE agents. Two things that couldn’t be more worlds apart.
It’s a rare occurrence for a band to release a debut album that genuinely, truly has something special about it that captures the complete essence of the band. We Are Unpeople does just that. The EP was an incredible opening statement for them, but the album is a work of art. And I don’t say that lightly. Everything that I already loved about the band, everything that I thought “Oh I wish they would do that more” or “Man they’re great at writing perfect vocal harmonies”, it’s all there and on steroids. I will continue to do my due diligence to spread the good word. This will be the album that will inevitably launch a career well deserved.
Here’s to the future of one of the most talented bands I’ve come across in many years.
We are Unpeople, you are Unpeople, we are all Unpeople!
we are unpeople
Out October 9 On SharpTone Records
