North London dream-pop ensemble Firestations are back with their first full album in five years. Preceded by the single “Undercover” – an effervescent song about depression and self-discovery – “Thick Terrain” will be released on limited-edition 12” vinyl and digital platforms on July 14th, 2023. A clear-eyed and bold statement, deftly combining big ideas with pop sensibilities in a captivating way, it’s the band’s best work to date. It follows Firestations’ expansive and explorative 2021 EP trilogy “Automatic Tendencies“, which garnered extensive support from BBC 6 Music including repeat plays from Gideon Coe, Cerys Matthews, Radcliffe & Maconie and in particular Marc Riley, who hailed the track ‘Small Island’ as “a perfect pop song”.
A song of, “depression and self-discovery”, “Undercover” finds vocalist Michael Cranny looking for happiness and normality in a world that can sometimes feel like it is lacking in both, “is it over? Where is the joy? Still undercover?” Musically, the track feels contrastingly effervescent, the lyrics might be questioning where have all the good times gone, yet Firestation’s music has never sounded more self-confident, adding a Camera Obscura-like pop-swagger to their usual blend of the dreamy and the driving.
This all bodes very well for their new album, a record whose title combines a love of dense milkshakes, a sense of feeling grounded and “cultural research” watching Love Island, and yes you might need to ask them for a full explanation of that, but rest assured it’s going to be excellent!
Firestations are Michael Cranny, Laura Copsey, Martin Thompson, Tom Hargreaves and Neil Walsh. Together they make music spanning genres from shoegazey indie to synth pop and harmony-driven psychedelia.
Taken from the forthcoming album “Thick Terrain” – out on July 14th, 2023 on limited edition 12″ vinyl via Lost Map Recordings
The Fat Angel Sings 