Northampton four-piece, The Barratts have released an energy cannon in their new single ‘Crooked Mile’. The first 20-second introduction is buzzing, giving you the built-up euphoria that can only come from being shoulder-to-shoulder in a jam-packed audience. It is easy to imagine this track being amongst the final two in their set as a noted crowd-pleaser that gets even the riff and drum beat chanted back. James Faulkner’s vocals are the pinnacle to recognising the band with his distinguishable tone, this time he sings of dissent emotions.
Released on End Of The Trail Records, The Barratts are in the company of other promising bands, but that’s not the only support they have, as their loyal following has followed them on tours to France and Germany. The first time we were introduced to The Barratts was in 2016 with their independent 5-track debut EP release, ‘Open Wounds and Open Windows’ since then, there has been a definite progression shift, as their influences become less obvious in their newer music as they continue to solidify their own identity within the industry.
Their last single back in 2019, ‘Lights Out In London’ had the essence of The Kooks about it and led them to play an evening with Shaun Ryder, it was also around this time they got noticed by Fred Perry Subculture and collectively you can’t get more Indie than that.
Crooked Mile is undeniably a more mature sound from The Barratts, with heavier guitar riffs and a tightness that comes from developing the band since Kyle and James met in school. Having not released a single for 3 years, this one reintroduces them to be more gritty and determined and whilst It may be a catchier song than how they’ve been known before, it feels like they might be playing it safe in their return deeming them to be less lyrically explorative than when they released Satellites in 2018.
Regardless of this, the first 30 seconds of the song should be congratulated, with acknowledgment of how much the drums drive the track into a higher league. A dynamic range in volume throughout the song creates a fuzz behind the vocals giving it the stereotypical indie edge which they have harnessed.