More about: The Blinders

The Blinders are one of those bands bringing indie rock music kicking and screaming into 2022. Alongside the likes of Baby Strange, Inhaler, Red Rum Club and Sports Team amongst the many leading the modern indie field, that would often according to naysayers, have started to fizzle out after the golden hayday of Blur, Oasis and others of the like. Well they couldn't be more wrong with bands like The Blinders kicking about. 

Bringing a blend between psychedelic-infused indie rock with huge emotional weight to it, the Doncaster born outfit to date have demonstrated their no holding back attack for righteousness and rebellion with their fierce rock sound on first two albums Columbia and Fantasies Of A Stay At Home Psychopath. Now onto their new EP Electric Kool-Aid (Part 1) The Blinders are bounding head first into unfearful dark territory as a newly-formed five-piece. 

Title track ‘Electric Kool-Aid’ opens up the EP with an echo guitar effect that sounds like something out of a timeless Western film with its air of stand-off confidence and cool charisma oozing throughout the song's infectious groove. 

If there is one notable theme found through this Blinders' EP, it's that it is highly fashionable, stylishly cool and dripping in indie rock character. Single ‘City We Call Love’ incorporates synths akin to those used in The Killers' iconic debut album Hot Fuss mixed with exuberant melodies and raucous rock driven guitars, bursting in between the tracks lyrics all about “a city we call love”.   

On ‘The Writer’, The Blinders dip into punk territory with fearlessness. Thomas Haywood's vocals are full of that attitude that rile up your emotions and get the energy levels surging. The sound of the song itself is as if IDLES and Arctic Monkeys met in a sweaty mosh pit with some electric elements thrown in for The Blinders' own distinctive nature, fast-paced ferociousness alongside some infectious indie elements. ‘The Writer’ has been given a lick of paint, one that makes it stand out for all the right reasons ever since the song started making its way onto the band's set-lists in 2019. 

Closer ‘Hate To See You Tortured’ brings down the tempo for a split second, the track overall more relaxed, free-flowing and restrained in its delivery. A dream pop air and an anthemic indie-sized chorus make for a song destined to make your mind drift off into a glorious daze of emotional lyrics. ‘Hate To See You Tortured’ proves that The Blinders craft for curating compelling lyrics driven my emotions is second to none. 

Electric Kool-Aid is a fiery yet sensitive body of work. The Blinders psychedelic-infused indie rock songwriting sees this band offer up a five track EP with visceral and sonic bite.

Electric Kool-Aid (Part 1) arrives 14 January. 

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More about: The Blinders