More about: The Skinner Brothers

Formed in 2018, The Skinner Brothers have established themselves as one of the hottest bands in the indie underground for their brand of attitude-heavy guitar anthems and ferocious live performances. They articulate what it’s like to be young and working class in contemporary Britain, exploring themes of love, their passion for football, drinking and the buzz for the weekend on new album Soul Boy II.

Last year was the biggest yet for the London four-piece band, led by shaggy-haired frontman Zac Skinner. Championed by film star Robert Carlyle on Twitter, and building traction on Radio X and 6 Music, 2021 saw their music reach new audiences, providing them with new levels of mainstream acclaim. By January they were being featured on Sky’s Saturday morning Soccer AM show.

Having also recently supported big names of the stature of The Libertines, The Streets and Kasabian, it’s no surprise that a certain intrigue has grown for the release of their new album Soul Boy II. Their latest offering is a collection of the best tracks the band have built their reputation on, live favourites and a few newly-released songs.

Opener ‘Mountain High’ hits you like a bolt of electricity, pulling in the raw charm of early Arctic Monkeys to have you “in the sky, flying high, mountain high”. Swaggering 2021 singles ‘Put Me Down As A Maybe’ and ‘Iconic’ are spread on differing sides of the album to ensure the album both starts and departs on an unrivalled high. ‘Low’ sees the band at their most brazen, an air of trouble and mystique surrounding a tale of “weekend offenders” and “wild childs”.

2020 single ‘Away Days’ has been re-recorded as an acoustic number, offering some mid-album respite. Despite the lack of vocals it still carries the same emotive-euphoria of the original song, one inspired by their love of football match-day culture. Capturing the buzz of an unpredictable day out with your twenty-something mates, its release during lockdown provided it with a melancholic quality for better days, the essence of which is still captured in this version.

After a brief lull, the power-pop bounce of ‘1000 Reasons Why’ and ‘Told You So’, lighten the palette with their soaring riffs and big hooks, though they save the best to last with the delightful indie-dance vibes on ‘Way Too Much’. To know that frontman Zac Skinner wrote and produced the majority of Soul Boy II in his West London home studio, provides an extra level of indie kudos and the end result should hopefully see their popularity and acclaim sky rocket to new levels in 2022.

Encompassing the lyrical wit of Jamie T, the ferociousness of Whatever People Say I Am That’s What I’m Not-era Alex Turner and the attitude of Kasabian, The Skinner Brothers' new one oozes grit, groove and charisma. So press play on Soul Boy II, pump your chest out and prepare for a feel-good experience from one of Britain’s most exciting young rock ‘n’ roll bands.

Soul Boy II arrives 18 February.

Grab your copy of the Gigwise print magazine here.

More about: The Skinner Brothers