”Box of Tricks’  is the newest single from the talented band John McCullagh and The Escorts. Released on 13th October, the four lads from Doncaster (with the aid of a well played harmonica) have produced a well textured song that, without sounding like my nan, can’t help but make you tap your foot. The lead singer demonstrates vocals very similar to Jake Bugg, but the music establishes itself in a much bigger way than Bugg’s usually much softer sounds. Opening with the sounds of a harmonica, the obligatory instrument for every good country band, the track then introduces a guitar followed by McCullagh’s strong vocals.The chorus seems to literally catch life and the folky tones all compliment each other like drunk girls in a bathroom (without, however, all the crying and selfies).

With neither instrument nor voice becoming too dominant, the separate components of the song all ebb into one smooth melody. The Escorts manage to flip between slower verses and their much louder, brighter chorus without making the track seem broken up and bitty, which can sometimes be hard to do, especially when there is such a change in tempo like featured in ‘Box of Tricks.’ Lyrically, the song could come across quite forlorn when McCullagh complains about “having to live until I die”, which aside from being slightly obvious, is quite melancholic. However the band pulls it off with their upbeat melodies and lambent tones. John McCullagh and The Escorts will, without doubt, be going places over the next year due to their resonating sound that places them well beyond their years.