alright (okay)’s New Single ‘Boyz Noize’ Is A Rousing Rock Anthem
alright (okay) might have been together since 2018, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be reborn if they want to. Just last year they decided to tear up their existing material and write a bunch of new songs from scratch, this time with the aim of capturing the spontaneity and wildfire energy of the live shows that have shaped their career so far.
Latest single Boyz Noize is a rallying cry for that new sound. That said, it doesn’t stray completely from their winning formula of carthatic hollered climaxes and small, acutely-realised details – earlier songs featured subjects like the 10a bus route, or underpaid workers struggling to contain their pent-up rage inside a lift.
Their newest offering is a rousing rock anthem which plays around inventively with time signatures and textures. “I just need the noise” roars Will Booth over squalling guitars and breakneck percussion. It’s a celebration of big unbridled jams, the sound of four guys all pouring their favourite influences into the mix and just running with it.
“Boyz Noize was a freeing song for us to write. It was one of the first tracks we wrote after taking a short break and it completely revitalised the band,” says Alex (vocals and guitar). “It gave us a whole new energy and you can definitely hear that on the record.”
Musically, alright (okay) are an alt-rock outfit taking cues from Pixies and Pavement, with crunchy riffs that come infused with their own whimsical take on the vexations of modern life. They’re also big Ween fans, and it’s easy to see how that band’s eccentric approach and occasional quirky melancholy have fed into their sound.
Despite the love of college rock, alright (okay) aren’t wallflowers or some navel-gazing slacker band. They’re just as comfortable making scuzzed-round-the-edges, raucuous garage rock to a roomful of people screaming back at them, a little like the Vines if Craig Nicholls cut down on the blue Smarties. Their sound, in their own words, is “danceable double time section designed to get crowds moving in sweaty basements”. That isn’t just hyperbole, the crowd really seem to go just as hard as the guys themselves. Watching live clips on Instagram you can nearly feel the sweat on your own brow.
2024 has been shaping up pretty nicely in the alright (okay) camp, with the band hoovering up support slots for acts such as Alien Chicks and GENN in venues all across town. But this Friday night is all theirs – they’ll be headlining Quarry to toast their brand new track. Come down and help wet its head.
Stream alright (okay)’s Boyz Noize now.
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Orla Foster
