Birmingham-based 4-piece band Otherless have released their 2nd ever single, ‘Family (friendly)’. The track was completely self-engineered and mixed by the band, and even the artwork was kept in-house – it’s a painting by one of the band members’ Granny!
The song starts with a nice groove – a solid, yet airy sound. I liked the crisp transients and the punchy warmth. It reminded me of early Foo Fighters. A gentle melody is carried by a slightly hushed, whispered vocal – with lyrics that had me totally perplexed, eg:
“Come around to grassy surreal apertures,
I’m cracking ground, holy.
Looking out for blue men with bright red eyes,
and I’m terrified of money.”
Turns out, this is the calm before the storm. The track starts to evolve – it nimbly moves through different incarnations. This gives the track a depth and a wide scope that feels totally fresh – a real feast for the ears. Like a 3-act drama, it starts as a family-friendly PG (pun intended!), develops into a slightly unsettling 15, and ends up as a terrifying 18 certificate.
Indeed, the final third pulls out all the stops, with angular guitar riffs screeching like nails down a blackboard, a throbbing bass line and hushed spoken voices. It feels experimental and progressive – and it really works.
A disturbingly entertaining track, when it all comes to a sudden halt, the first thing you want to do is hear it again.
With only their second release, Otherless have managed to create an inventive, labyrinthine track with a shape-shifting personality all its own.
‘Family (friendly)’ is out now.
Written by Grubby
