Narc. Magazine Online
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The modern psych band bring their punchy sound to Cobalt
Image by Aubrey Simpson
When W.H. Lung rock up at Cobalt Studios on Friday 11th November, they’ll do so a very different outfit to that which last thrilled a Newcastle audience back in 2019. Introduced by that year’s Incidental Music as the latest disciples to a lineage of infectious, expansive modern psych, the Mancunians have since undergone a technicolour transformation, fuelled by an expanded five-piece line-up and culminating with a stellar sophomore album in last autumn’s Variants.
Trading lengthy durations and sprawling instrumentals for punchy choruses, gleaming pop hooks and intoxicating dancefloor verve, the new record is both an expansion of their horizons and fulfilment of their vast early potential, capped emphatically by one of the finest singles released by anybody in 2021 in the pulsing synth pop banger Pearl In The Palm. The group’s live shows have enjoyed an adrenaline burst too; reviewers noting an “invigorating,” “indecently rousing” vim with fresh arrivals spurring Joseph Evans’ reinvention as an active, livewire frontman par excellence.
For early birds, the Cobalt date will also feature support from Moderma – a project from multi-instrumentalist and producer Emily Z promising synthesised vocals, pop sensibilities and influences ranging from Björk to Caroline Polachek and Everything But The Girl. An intriguing tee-up for a performance that’s not to be missed…
W.H. Lung and Moderma play Cobalt Studios, Newcastle on Friday 11th November.
