There’s something irresistibly bittersweet about Thunder and the Giants’ latest single, Neighbourhood Ghosts. When the chorus hits Frontman Josh Hughes sings — “I guess we’re not meant to be, you’re not good at Monopoly” — it perfectly captures the song’s balance of humour and heartbreak. It’s a playful jab at a situationship that never quite took off, masking the deeper regret of something left unfinished.
As the band explain, “Neighbourhood Ghosts is about the reminiscence of a failed situationship, stemming from and running parallel to a trip to Costco in search for rotisserie chicken. The feeling of going to beloved supermarkets for a hot treat, only to find their food counters had been snatched away without as much as a goodbye.” It’s a funny and oddly poetic image — love and loss played out in the aisles of everyday life — and one that captures the band’s knack for turning the mundane into the meaningful.
Sonically, Neighbourhood Ghosts delivers infectious hooks, driving riffs, and sun-drenched gloom. You can hear the influences of Rozwell Kid and Prince Daddy & the Hyena, but beneath the upbeat energy lies a reflective undercurrent — a quiet yearning for routine and romance. Then comes the guitar solo — not just a showy detour, but a full-throttle moment of catharsis.
Thunder and the Giants – Neighbourhood Ghosts Official Video
It’s a sound that feels as nostalgic as it does immediate. Guitarists Josh Hughes and Dylan Manners-Lolley weave shimmering leads over Ant Valente’s punchy basslines, while Jack McDonald’s drumming keeps the whole thing tight and buoyant. The result is a track that’s as anthemic as it is tender.
After a string of DIY shows and support slots with cleopatrick, Riley, and Slash Fiction, Thunder and the Giants are fast cementing their place as one of the North’s most exciting underground acts. With Neighbourhood Ghosts, they’ve bottled a distinctly British kind of melancholy — the kind that laughs through the pain while queuing for the last rotisserie chicken.
Neighbourhood Ghosts is out now — listen on Spotify or Bandcamp.
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