Ladybarn: Intruder
(Self-released)
Out now
The debut EP from Manchester’s gothic post-punks Ladybarn deftly melds King Krule-esque art-rock, melodic jazz, and Bauhaus atmospherics. On the surface, this description may seem overpowering, but the reality balances the triumvirate of genres with perfection.
Forming in the suburbs of Ladybarn, these Manchester-based jazz rockers already appear fully-formed, adventurous yet accessibly immediate in their avant-garde leanings. They have already played with Alien Chicks and Maruja too.
Intruder is a sprawling welcome which masterfully straddles several genres. The title track exhibits the band’s ambition and personality. It’s a nimble yet heavy flow between jazz and art-rock, continuing the innovative lineage of Miles Davis, James Chance and The Contortions, and King Krule. The sax and trumpets are ornamental, avoiding saturation or nostalgia. As a counter, gentler Bauhaus-esque guitars steer the track’s apocalyptic ending. This adjective is apt for the pained vocals, amped up in their Krule-ish wailing, that lament on ‘heaven and hell’ and other existential ruminations – from ‘fossils’ to ‘time’. Oliver Walsh’s anxious yet mature voice suits this world-weary tone sublimely. Contrary to this soulful croon, this track – and the rest of the EP – revolves around a constant unpredictability, guitar thrashing aplenty and Zak Osborne’s post-bop jazz drumming. Quiet, introspective, discordant and feverish dynamics have never been so great!
The goth-rock atmospheres and noise tendencies continue into You, again swerving onto a different route, crunchy Sonic Youth guitars driving the track to its heady, barnstorming climax. There are also subtle echoes of fellow sax-wielding Manchester post-punks Maruja, demonstrating their deft, experienced jazz chops (their theory-based forte).
On One By One, Slint-ish, chiming guitar harmonics and spoken-word sermons exemplify their gift of tension-building, compacting the energy required for a cathartic release. In unpredictable fashion, its finale – and the neurotic rhythm guitar and dynamics of the next track – does just that with the mania of classic black midi. Wagon’s insistent, staccato guitar strike keeps a fierce beat and noxious dread, a fulfilling compliment to the pensive trumpet and abstract refrain of ‘another morning wrapped in thunder’.
Return to this review in several years’ time when, as well as a likely stratospheric evolution, Ladybarn’s inventive goth-rock may have secured their spots at the most discerning festivals and publications.
Listen to Intruder here.
Follow the band on social media.
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Review by James Kilkenny. Read more of his Louder Than War articles here.
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