There used to be a lot of bands from England making punchy, tuneful alt-rock. It's not that there are not always such bands coming from the UK, but that at that moment a few decades ago, a decade on from the New Wave of New Wave and Britpop booms, there was still enough life in the genre to inspire a lot of cool guitar-oriented acts again.
Sounding remarkably like Maximo Park in spots with a dash of Bloc Party, Liverpool's Courting are here with their new record, Lust for Life, Or; 'How To Thread The Needle And Come Out The Other Side To Tell The Story', out on March 14. It's full of angular, beefy, and risk-taking Britpop circa 2025.
Early single "Pause at You" punches above its weight, while numbers like "Lust for Life" take a more exploratory approach. Rootlessly untethered from expectations, that one and the abrasive "Stealth Rollback" place this outfit's output closer to that of contemporary peers like Squid. Still, at their best, like on "Eleven Sent (This Time)" the sound here takes a more conventional approach. Fans of any of the groups I've referenced today will likely find this pretty enjoyable.
Courting are a relatively new band so there's a sense that they are still finding their way. The stylistic leaps here can be jarring, but when Courting spike a landing, the results are nearly 10's all around. This is a neat record and a pleasant surprise in a few places.
Lust for Life, Or; 'How To Thread The Needle And Come Out The Other Side To Tell The Story' by Courting is out on March 14. Details on the band via their Bandcamp, or official website.
[Photo: Charlie Barclay Harris]