‘National Trust’ is the first EP from Blanketman, a new foursome who are making toe-tapping post-punk music. This EP brings great vibes, fun lyricism and memorable choruses that you can’t help singing along to.
The members of Blanketman hail from various parts of the UK, but have made Manchester their musical home. ‘National Trust’ brings together all of their experiences and influences, delving deeper into the minds of each member of the band. Even the EP’s title gives us a sense that we are going to be listening to a record that is so uniquely British, and feeds into the themes showcased throughout each track.
‘Beach Body’ is a rousing opening to the EP, with the repeated refrain “lift off!” coupled with a lively guitar-led chorus. One of the standout tracks on the EP has to be ‘Leave The South’, with its bouncing chorus, another effective use of repeated refrain and its relatable lyrics: “And though the North can be quite grey, it’s too expensive down there anyway”. The track has it all. It laments broken relationships and dealing with expensive city rent, whilst dancing your problems away to a well crafted and carefree beat.
‘Harold’ leads into a more downtempo feel. The track uses a nightmarish sleep paralysis experience as a metaphor for pulling yourself away from a negative situation: “I need to pull myself away / Sleep paralyse me”.
‘Dogs Die In Hot Cars’ brings the tempo back up, featuring almost absurd lyrics that you just can’t help smiling at. The “ah-wooo” vocals (imitating a dog) make a hilarious, brilliant and clever refrain that brings so much energy to an already great song.
‘Blue Funk’ really shows off Blanketman’s musicality, but it’s the title track ‘National Trust’ that really shines and stands out. The track brings back a lively guitar-led chorus and builds on the theme of moving away due to becoming disillusioned by the big city. The lyrics use coasts and castles (“And yeah, you may laugh and me and say it’s not very working-class”) to escape reality. ‘The Tie’ closes the EP on a high, skillfully coupling thought-provoking lyrics with another anthemic chorus.
You can hear all the band member’s personal influences in this EP, from the Talking Heads to The Smiths. Blanketman brings their own freshness, and an ability to not take themselves too seriously, whilst still having a personality. Like many other Northern bands, Blanketman delivers a sense of nostalgic familiarity, sticking to their roots and making their hometowns part of their identity. Blanketman will be touring the UK in the summer, and I am excited to experience the energy they will bring to the live music scene.
