Discovery of the Week: The Larkins

Often my default when hearing the phrase “Manchester indie rock band” is to turn around and run straight in the opposite direction. I love indie rock and Manchester is my home, but there is an overwhelming abundance of them. There is an average teenage indie band playing somewhere in Manchester every night, and it gets tiring. The fact that 90% sing with a Sheffield accent also doesn’t help matters. It’s very difficult to find a needle in the haystack, but I think that time has come. The Larkins are a 4-piece of 18/19 year olds from our great city of Manchester, and they’re not allowing themselves to be confined into one specific genre any time soon.

New single ‘Hit and Run’, out 30 April, is a fun, upbeat track that’s totally full of life. The song starts off with a bang, as a chorus of four voices is heard “oh oh oh oh”-ing – sounding more indie-pop if anything, reminiscent of bands like Dog Is Dead or Young Kato. The rock returns, however, with excellent subtle guitar riffs, as though the intro to ‘My Number’ by Foals has been oddly jumbled up. “Is it all in the way you’re walking or is it all in the way you move?” Josh Noble’s passionate voice in his suitably Northern accent calls out in the chorus: it’s deep, smooth and sultry – I can imagine most girls listening desperately wanting him to sing “god knows, I’m into you” just for them. It’s so Lancashire (not Yorkshire!), I’m extremely pleased. Layers of clashing cymbals and electric guitar lines build up towards the end of the track, as banging drums and an erratic melody mark a cracking end to a short, and extremely enjoyable, song from The Larkins.

The Larkins’ aim to break out from the “indie rock” mould has been undeniably successful. An exciting track full of refreshing melody and perfect harmonies is enough to win me over. The Larkins will undoubtedly be making their way out of Manchester very soon – after a few London shows and some sweet support slots, they’ll be ready to take over the world.

‘Hit and Run’ is released 30 April. Find out more about the band here. 

 

Elli Brazzill
@littlelionelli

Elli Brazzill

Elli Brazzill

I’m Elli, 20 and live in Manchester. I like good music, gigs, rice krispies, 7” singles and puns. Alex G, Day Wave, Jaws, Talking Heads, Best Friends, Mac DeMarco, The Strokes, Parquet Courts and Tyler the Creator are pretty cool aren’t they. @cometobrazzill on twitter.
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About Elli Brazzill
I’m Elli, 20 and live in Manchester. I like good music, gigs, rice krispies, 7” singles and puns. Alex G, Day Wave, Jaws, Talking Heads, Best Friends, Mac DeMarco, The Strokes, Parquet Courts and Tyler the Creator are pretty cool aren’t they. @cometobrazzill on twitter.