Modern Neutrals are a 5-piece band from South Wales Valleys in Blackwood. They have just released their EP ‘Paradoxes & Agonies’ with 4 mesmerising songs ‘Obelisk’, ‘Artless Ambition’, ‘French Street’ and ‘Cattle & Game’. They are their own genre of music, they’ve created something new and I love it.

When I first started to listen to this EP, the beginning of ‘Obelisk’ jumped out to me as it had a very groovy bouncy baseline, it then turns midway song and gets more beefy and heavy including screaming, it’s a real nice combo. I thoroughly enjoy the mix as you don’t expect it, as you can’t really put it under a specific genre and I like that.

‘Artless Ambition’ starts out slow and slowly builds up and it’s very much a head banger when it kicks in, again – it’s a real nice combination of genres mixed, it really works. The part at end of the song when the bassist asks for it to be turned down, made me laugh.

Oh ‘French Street’, I love ‘French Street’, with the sounds of the plane at the beginning and the guitar you do really feel like you’re on holiday, it’s very light in comparison to the other songs, which is refreshing and shows that the band is capable of making literally anything. I love the lyrics ‘I’ll be like Swayze in a bar fight’ in the chorus, makes me laugh, it reminds me very much how Idles wrote their lyrics, they use lyrics relating to celebrities and it does catch you, brilliant song, so summery.

‘Cattle & Game’ I think is my personal favourite, the song starts slow and really kicks in later in the song. It reminds me again of Idles with ‘Colossus’, it’s a slow builder but when it kicks in, it’s magical. I feel compared to the other songs it sounds they’ve pushed the boat and I could genuinely listen to this on repeat. When it does kick is it’s so good, I head bang to it in the car (carefully) especially when they get lots of the sound effects near the end of the song, the mash up blends so well – the ‘we want to say what we mean and mean what we say’ is very strong wording, as this EP is very much politically forward, but in the best way possible.

This EP is definitely up there for an first release, Modern Neutrals worked so hard on getting this together to be what it is and I’m so happy for them. Many congratulations and I can’t wait to review many more gigs and songs!

Modern Neutrals celebrated their release of Paradoxes & Agonies in a sold out show in Tiny Rebel Cardiff, with Idlechord and IAMDRUG.

On the doors everyone was given a copy of the EP and it was nice to see family and friends gathering to celebrate the EP.

Modern Neutrals played their EP in full and also sneak peeks into songs they’ve been making behind the scenes, which are very good in my opinion especially ‘Blue’, they need to record that ASAP!

The place was completely packed out and there wasn’t a still body in sight, everyone was bouncing and having the best time. Modern Neutrals always put on the performance of their lives and it was outstanding. I’m so happy for them and I can’t wait to photograph them again!

They’re playing St Mortiz Club in London as well as Le Pub in Newport at the end of this month, if you’re available it’s so worth going and seeing them, they’re well worth your time.

Modern Neutrals New EP ‘Paradoxes & Agonies’ is on Spotify!

Photos & Review by Kern Hollie Bridges