North Manchester quintet Dirty Laces move ever-closer to their greatly anticipated debut album with the offering of latest single ‘Seeker’.
Bringing elements of garage rock and proto-punk, the band follow up January’s prog rock-tinged release ‘All I See’, with this over-three-minute track exploring life’s riddles and our desperate need for vision in this world.
‘Seeker’ opens with a cutting guitar riff – a sure staple for the group – scattered with a shimmer of cymbal strikes before a punchy drumbeat enters the mix. Following this well-established outset, singer Charlie Jordan’s vocals come into play around the 24 second mark with an opening line packed with pursuit – “I’ve been seeking, seeking something”.
Vox start off mellow yet melancholic and undeniably Manc – come the chorus though, Jordan’s vocals soar with a sing-a-long quality fully fit for a crowd to join in with enthusiasm – complete with a fair few heartfelt ‘oh’s’ and ‘woah’s’ for good measure. “What can you see? / What can you see?”.
Remaining heavily riff-laden throughout, ‘Seeker’ takes the listener on an ever-building ride as Dirty Laces ponder not only self-development, but discovery too. Around the 2.40 mark, there’s an electronic pulsing section which flutters and swells like a heart fit to burst.
From early development in their rehearsal room, to being laid down in Liverpool’s iconic Parr Street studios just shortly before its closure, then developed further by long-time collaborator Alex Quinn – ‘Seeker’ has evolved much like the band themselves these past few years.
And with an accompanying ‘cinematic’ music video (shot by Sophie Barrott and Jordan Diggle of Happy Daze) featuring their friend and roadie Thomas Scott in his actorial debut – if Dirty Laces were seeking our undivided attention, I think they may’ve cracked it with this one.
📸 Credit – Trust A fox