Antidotes
Manchester indie four-piece Antidotes drop their first single and Getintothis’ James Sullivan finds a band not afraid of a chorus.
It takes about three seconds for Antidotes to set out their stall in their debut single Jigsaw, released into the world last Friday.
A snare hit, a guitar jangle and we’re straight into a “woah-oh-woah-oh-oh” vocal hook. After posting a couple of demos on their Soundcloud page over the last few months, Antidotes have gone widescreen with their first proper single.
It’s like 2007 all over again: a dash of Kings of Leon’s Because of the Times, The Cribs with a bit of spit and polish, and White Lies’ penchant for a rumbling verse that explodes into life.
As if they weren’t already ticking every box for indie anthem, there’s even a spoken word middle section, where singer Elliot Sharpe ponders: “They say in this age of technology that it’s easier and easier to keep in touch…Then how come this is the loneliest I’ve ever felt?”
If it wasn’t so sincere it could be cloying. But there’s a lot to be said for a healthy dose of angst backed by a wall of chiming guitars, vacuum packed into a four-minute pop song, and Antidotes have arrived fully formed.
Early demo Antidote had already shown their love of an 80s vocal, a Bloc Party gurgle and a chorus pedal. It also had that secret weapon that every aspiring guitar band must work towards: you can successfully sing Boston’s More Than a Feeling over the chorus.
Sitting alongside that song was Savages, a brilliantly churlish olive branch to a partner – “I’m just a savage, no good to anyone.”
There’s an underlying theme to the three songs the band have showcased so far: hiding from the world; letting go; feeling disconnected. If Antidotes are aiming to connect up a fractured world then Jigsaw is, erm, the missing piece.
It’s catchy, supremely structured, unabashed pop music.
