Reverend and the Makers announce new single UFO, and a bunch of tiny gigs to celebrate.
Sheffield veterans Reverend and the Makers have undergone numerous transformations in their time as a band. Latest single UFO feels like a continuation of their self-proclaimed “Radio 2 era” and is another soulful, softer track akin to earlier releases Haircut and Late Night Phonecall, setting up some strong suggestions as to the vibe of their upcoming album Is This How Happiness Feels?
Although, personally, I’d like to dispute this “Radio 2 era”. I feel like this latest release is putting them solidly in their pop-girly era (and I mean isn’t everyone right now?) but, seriously, their latest tracks have to be amongst the catchiest they’ve ever released. They’ve got a funky, upbeat vibe and definitely make me want to run around my house hairbrush karaoke-ing to them in the same way I do with Messy or Pink Pony Club (yep, aware I’m in my oversharing era right now).
And UFO is no exception, those lines “I’m wondering is a distant star, Somewhere in the deepest dark” are already on regular rotation inside my brain. It’s a catchy tune, seemingly about, well UFO’s. As someone who regularly stands outside and just looks at the stars overwhelmed by the vastness of space, I can relate, but somewhere in there I think there’s also a story of human connection: “how’d we ever get this far when everybody’s miles apart”. It certainly fits in today’s political landscape, with neighbours on opposite ends of a political spectrum, and people leading more solitary lives.
Anyway, to celebrate this release and their Radio 2/Pop Girly era, they’ve announced a bunch of tiny shows across the U.K. Now, I’m a little gutted about this because I’ve basically been rubbing it in everyone’s face back home that I got to see Reverend and the Makers in a tiny little venue this year and they’re never going to get to do that EVER again. So this is your chance to bask in smugness and prove me wrong by grabbing yourselves a ticket. These gigs are teeny tiny and they’ll sell out fast so the best way to get your hands on tickets is to pre order a copy of their album here (CDs are like £5!)
You can listen to UFO here.