More about: Folly Group

Emerging from the battle-royale of London’s unforgiving circuit alive, Folly Group have been praised as one of the next best things to dare show what they have to offer in the capital. Now they’re running it back again: their second EP Human and Kind is much more immersive an experience than its older sibling. 

Opening with ‘Faint of Hearts’ the quartet set the tone for a brooding EP with a painful dose of reality. It gives off everything lovable about Folly Group, though, thanks to those deep spoken vocals with the odd effect over them and haunting guitars that you’ll remember in your sleep. But the craving for their music is not yet satiated as ‘I Raise You (The Price Of Your Head)’ is something worthy of sinking your teeth into. 

Traversing the past couple of years where governments have played with the lives of those they deem unworthy of their support, the treat of a tongue-in-cheek track is pleasant and is even better with the riffs that run away when they feel like it. It’s an upbeat anomaly though: the EP swiftly returns to its more bleak and moody efforts similar to ‘Faint of Hearts’, ‘Paying The Price’ is uncomfortable to listen to because of the truths spouted so casually regarding living in London. Despite its groundhog day musings, musically it dips its toe into slightly rougher electronic sounds that are almost cyber-punk-ish. 

Tensions are high from the get go in ‘The Tooth Of February’ as always, but the rolling bassline and cycling guitar feel like the embodiment of a vicious cycle. Cult-ish vocals drone over this impending doom prior all mayhem breaking out in the claustrophobic track. They’ve simulated the feeling of having someone press their foot on your neck successfully. Human and Kind closes with something that seems very much to be a dumbed down version of the prior and with a faceless personality, ‘Human And Kind’ the title track. Although it does its job at wrapping up the messages and pessimistic narratives behind the EP as they sing together "Human destruction, stripped of all function. Human and kind".

Human and Kind is out now.

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More about: Folly Group