Hand Models are a great band. They’re inviting and accessible, despite spearheading a distinctly Northern Irish ability to write abrasive, weirdly charming and catchy pop hits drenched in dissonance and sarcasm. Best of all, they never take themselves too seriously.
Without a doubt, they have a knack for this type of song; and have consistently planted the seed for a new brand of Belfast based alternative music, with a dishevelled style, biting humour and their sheer ferocity.
New single ‘Probably All The Same‘ is no different; it’s like a cheeky boxer dipping a left curl up and through the belly of the local music scene; a truly delicious knockout punch.
There’s a bubbling attitude of disorder and recklessness brewing nicely in the background, yet the band have tamed the danger and morphed it into a sound so controlled and so purposeful, it’s instantly rewarding. There’s a little chuckle midway through the song, that feels like a wink to the listener, to something darker and more sinister being suppressed in the background. Northern Ireland is after all a breeding ground for disdain, with it’s politically and socially bizarre landscape. Lyrically, that tension simmers away nicely, “always wanting more”, bringing to mind a desire to hear these boys explode into another hilariously blunt refrain like, “Fuck the DUP”, that ended their last single, “Last leaves on a tree”.
The jangly guitars, tight punk rock beat and grungy bass lines of ‘Probably All The Same’, showcase the band perfectly as the rabid showmen and rock fans that they are. Hand Models know all to well how to turn convention on its head, crafting pop tunes out of jagged, ominous parts and healthy doses of wit.
We probably are all the same, but not this band; that couldn’t be further from the truth. Hand Models engaging sound and unique quirks, never cease to entertain. They are positively singular. These boys have yet to falter.
Please never change.
