track of the week ~ ferals ~ 'twoseventyone'

For fans of: Biffy Clyro, Fatherson, ASIWYFA
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For a band with such a mighty sound, North Coast boys Ferals have until now been content with crafting their songs in the shadows. Well no longer, as the trio of singles making up debut EP 'Always Watching, Never Watched' show a band ready for their turn in the spotlight.

Channelling the aggressive riffs that have come to define their home over the years (An Axis Of' stomp, ASIWYFA inspired breakdowns), Ferals fuse it with their own unique twist on the alt-rock formula, dominated by frontman Shane McMullan's vocals. He sounds totally at peace on these recordings, as if his songs have finally found their home.

'TwoSeventyOne' is a mature leap into the unknown for Ferals, littered with deceptively coy couplets about the girl who's 'just another dream...', before crashing out on a massive breakdown not dissimilar to the waves on the shore of their hometown.

Thundering drums and unrelenting guitar licks have been a staple component of every Ferals release so far, but what sets them apart from their contemporaries is their absolute refusal to sacrifice melody as a result (see 'The Low'). The band that burst onto the scene with 'Brendan Rodgers' last year already look like something from a distant chapter; in a short space of time Ferals have evolved into a wiser beast. More Pep Guardiola, than the Leicester City man.

Taylor Johnson