With their tweed, cardigans and tank tops, Young Knives were an often mis-understood phenomenon.
Sure, theirs was a deeply English take on the post-punk legacy, but that veneer of irony lay over a songwriting engine which had complex, engrossing machinery.
Completing a trilogy of sorts with 2011's 'Ornaments from the Silver Arcade' the band then took some time off. Regaining their independence, Young Knives went back into the studio this year, funding the sessions via a hugely successful Kickstarter campaign.
The results are unhinged, bloody and direct. Finally able to be their own masters, Young Knives have responded with music which at times borders on the Industrial, yet retains the wit and wisdom which made them so irresistible first time round.
New album 'Sick Octave' is set to be released on November 4th, but before then the group are ready to unveil their next single. 'We Could Be Blood' has a dark, psychedelic side, with the vocals underpinned by a brooding, menacing organ.
According to Henry Dartnall, the song "is really just about feeling so close to someone that you don’t notice them, but there’s this creepy/murdery side to it that I like. We borrowed a Hammond organ off Steve Winwood to record this, though I’m not sure he knows we did."
Sorry to break the news, Winwood… but even the one time Traffic frontman would have to admit: the results are more than worth a little lawbreaking.
Listen to it now.
Young Knives are set to release 'Sick Octave' on November 4th. The band have confirmed the following shows:
October
26 Oxford The Cellar (Special pre- tour show)
November
5 Glasgow O2 ABC
6 Birmingham O2 Academy
7 Cardiff ClwbIfor Bach
8 London O2 Academy Islington
9 Southampton Joiners
10 St Albans The Horn
12 Newcastle O2 Academy
13 Sheffield O2 Academy
14 Liverpool O2 Academy
19 Manchester Sound Control
20 Hebden Bridge Trades Club
23 Bedford Esquires
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