Single: “Insects” by October Drift

Taunton in Somerset’s favourite sons October Drift are back with quite possibly their most infectious release to date. Following previous single “Airborne Panic Attack” comes the stellar “Insects”, boasting their Grungiest output yet. From the opening bass thuddery to Kieran Roy’s mesmerising yet immediate vocals, one is left in no doubt about October Drift and their Indie/Rock, Post/Grunge credentials. This is the second single from their forthcoming album and sees these four chaps upping their game considerably. While a coming of age song may not be one’s immediate thoughts on first listen, it has a clear message in the chorus – “We’re still insects pinned to walls, trying to crawl, trying to crawl”. Kiaran penned these lyrics after a visit to Kelvin Ggrove Museum in Glasgow and is a reflection of seeing some of the insects displayed on the walls.

Kiaran’s layered vocal tones are the perfect foil for bassist Alex, whose thudding basslines cascade through from start to finish. Chris’s snare-heavy drumming allied to Daniel’s squally guitar are almost an afterthought as Alex takes centre stage with his sonic bass-riffery. Daniel then feeds off that power as the song just grows and grows. The video is filmed deliberately dark, a clear nod to any shoegazing heroes of theirs while celebrating the passing over into Grunge. There is so much here to like. It’s your classic October Drift, coming of age yet still pushing the boundaries. With a headline tour just around the corner this is their time – I would expect nothing less than a Sold Out Tour on the back of this single alone, but only time will tell.

Links
https://www.octoberdrift.com
https://www.facebook.com/octoberdrift

Review by Ross A. Ferrone