Some bands know exactly who they are from day one; others discover their voice through growth, experimentation, and time. Liverpool alternative rock outfit alright (okay) fall proudly into the latter — a band who’ve evolved steadily since forming in 2019, refining their sound through countless gigs, new ideas, and the creative spark that arrived in full force during their 2023 restart.
That reboot sparked something real. Their live shows grew sharper and more unpredictable, picking up support slots with Do Nothing, TV Priest, Alien Chicks, ĠENN, and Hotel Lux, plus spots at FOCUS Wales, Liverpool Sound City, Stockton Calling, and more.
Their debut EP, decent (fine), captures that transformation in fuzz, sweat, and emotional static. Recorded live at 3rd Planet Studio with producer Andy Fernihough, the EP avoids polish entirely. Instead, it leans into the chaos that’s become their signature. The band wanted it to feel like a gig — unpredictable, loud, and intensely human — and that’s exactly what they’ve created.
The opener 10A turns a miserable Liverpool bus journey into something strangely cinematic, swirling from dreary atmosphere into fuzzy catharsis. It’s followed by good friend (he was), a grief-soaked track written after the death of Alex’s family cat, Elmo. Heavy distortion and unraveling vocals give the song a strange comfort — loud music as emotional release.
The centrepiece, a conversation / i can’t remember, is the EP’s defining moment. What begins as a quiet reflection on burnout and self-doubt explodes into a chaotic sound storm that never stays in one place for long. It’s the clearest expression of the band’s restart: vulnerable, frustrated, and creatively unbound.
american yakuza adds a jolt of messy humour — a collage of Budapest cocktails, half-remembered conversations, and emotional fog — while closing track “sandpaper; concrete” bridges their past and future. With Will taking lead vocals, it’s the EP’s softest ache: a longing for green spaces and relief from the grind of city life, delivered with rough-edged sincerity.
The title decent (fine) started as an inside joke — a shrugging, noncommittal phrase the band used for years. But as the record came together, it accidentally summed up everything: the humour, the humility, the self-awareness of a band rebuilding themselves without pretending to have all the answers. If this EP is any indication, their next chapter is going to be louder, exciting, and even more compelling.
Stream decent (fine) now.
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