, Katie Oldham (Vocals), Vlad...){kind=link}
In Ways is the debut album from Slung. A Brighton-based band comprised of Ali Johnson (Guitars), Katie Oldham (Vocals), Vlad Matveikov (Bass) and Ravi Martin (Drums), which underwent many iterations before settling with this line-up.
The idea began initially from Vlad, who proceeded to work with other Brighton-based artists to create demos to really get things moving, before Katie joined the band permanently. Almost like a Seagulls’ version of the Desert Sessions. What’s cool – as well as having QOTSA as one of the influences – is that a lot of the contributions from said iterations exist on the album. Now with a line-up established and those demos fully realised, the introduction to Slung is one that hits in many ways.
‘Laughter’ kicks things off with a storming performance. Blasting out of the speakers with a flurry of noise, channelling anger as it details a difficult face-off that’s been needed for a long time. It sets the tone and highlights how much Slung are going to reveal about themselves. ‘Class A Cherry’ follows with an equally anthemic sound, but eases on the tempo a touch to allow Katie’s vocals to direct things. Written about sex workers and the power dynamics that surrounds the profession, there’s a defiance to it that’s boosted by its strong instrumental.
‘Come Apart’ is the first to feature one of the past contributions from other artists, as Projector’s Lucy Sheehan produced its dusty, Breaking Bad-esque atmosphere, which the band expand upon to deliver a breather from the heaviness, while keeping the existentialism alive. El Moono’s Zac Jackson formed the melodies heard on ‘Collider’, which were adapted to fit the new lyrical narrative of a cult who converse to their higher power via the use of psychedelics (pretty cool). The melodies heard on ‘Limassol’ came from Sick Love‘s Mykl Barton, which float through the clunky instrumental in a daze. CLT DRP‘s Annie Dorett formed the basis for ‘Heavy Duty’, with Katie harnessing them to create what is now the “little sister” to ‘Laughter’: Detailing generational trauma and putting out one of the best vocal performances on the record. It highlights how the band kept these ideas, and tweaked them to reflect their own personalities as well as their originators, which highlights the context of how Slung came to be.
Hearing and learning about these roots has made In Ways so enjoyable. Adding more layers to what is already a very well layered album. It makes you appreciate the songs a little more, knowing that they’ve been worked on for so long, and to hear them paired with experiences and topics that already carry a lot of weight, makes it easier to connect to.
Closing tracks ‘Nothing Left’ and ‘Falling Down’ chronicle Katie’s breakup and fallout with a bandmate and best friend of 10 years –“It was during an already low point for me,” she says “and this important person walking out of my life felt like the last straw. So that was the only thing it felt possible to write about.”. ‘Nothing Left’ stems from the last time that person messaged Katie, and features some of the best vocals on the album.
Slung have delivered one of the best debuts of the year. In Ways already had the bangers, the riffs and the melodies to make it stand out, but discovering the process that lead up to their formation makes it even better. It feels like a testament to the Brighton music scene, while also doing a good job at introducing themselves too. It’s great.
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