It's been around eight months since the enigmatic hardcore punks of Palm Reader released the first single from their upcoming third album, but since the release of Always Darkest we are still waiting with quiet anticipation.
If you're not into the band yet, this is a perfect way to see what they're about. Not least because it's only 2:45 minutes long but it has pretty much everything Palm Reader about it. It's fast, dark, jarringly intense but slows toward a more diverse ending, such as the band is. And as always Josh McKeown's lyrics show the workings of a brilliant mind.
I can't help but feel this song is somewhat prophetic, it's been a while since we saw a release from Palm Reader and the opening line of 'Stay awake!' certainly seems to add to that. It's as if they have gone out to say 'we've not disappeared, we're still here and still fighting'. They are some of the most creative and inspirational songwriters in the country, their intense mix of technical riffs, roaring vocals and an ability to both scare and inspire in less than 3 minutes. Anyone who knows the band will know they are easily one of Britain's most underrated bands.
That said, with the fans they do have they share an intense loyalty. A Palm Reader show is certainly not one to miss. I've had the pleasure of seeing them at both Corporation and Sheffield Forum. Now the latter, if you've visited, is not the sort of space you would expect to find a techincally minded, aggressive and intelligent hardcore band but they still manage to give off the same energy, air of darkness and weight of performance. Every time I've seen them I've been glued, fixated almost, on their every move.
Although we still await details of album #3's release, the bands two previous releases Bad Weather and Besides The Ones We Love should not be overlooked. Call it this weeks homework assignment!
Always Darkest was released via Metal Hammer on February 6th 2017: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIn0ABH0tPg
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