With their latest effort, taken from their forthcoming EP, punky up-and-comers Headshrinkers give their sound more room, but retain a grip on the agitated energy and insightful lyricism that makes them so special.
Where the quartet’s previous single, ‘Doorway Conversation’ was ferocious and highly charged, ‘Monocle’ is more melodically developed and comes with more breathing space.
While building on the sound of its predecessor, the track’s slightly different path allows the band to recline into themselves more than they have on previous efforts and, in doing so, they have been able to explore a more open side to their sound.
While there’s a noticeable added space in the song’s instrumentation, the band’s punky energy – for which they’ve received much of their plaudits – remains intact. It provides the song with a familiar restlessness. Excited, Cure-inspired bass lines and rolling drums form the backdrop for sharp guitars and layered choruses that keep the song sounding distinctly Headshrinkers.
The track’s key strength is its lyrical content and delivery. The band’s frontman, Garran Hickman, delivers a rough and frank vocal that evokes Joy Division’s Ian Curtis. Hickman’s candid lyricism compliments its honest delivery: “We don’t need no tropical living/All we need is the house we live in/And to christen every seat that we sit in” he sings on a track that is written as an ode to his partner. His ability to candidly capture his own feelings of content points to his lyrical adeptness.
Having formed in 2019 and having been slowly making waves with a steady output of material since 2020 – a year that year saw them named as Brum Radio’s ‘band of the year’- the band seem ready to launch the next phase of their development. Fans have now had a good taste of the debut EP and will have the chance to see it performed live over the course of Headshrinkers’ impending UK tour. A tour that will, in all likelihood, make those waves larger.