LIFE are an alternative band from Hull: a creative, tightly connected four-piece who remain proudly independent and driven by a strong DIY ethos rooted in community.
One of Hull’s finest bands, LIFE are back with album number four, following on from the highly critically acclaimed joy of 2022’s “North East Coastal Town”, which saw their eclectically sharp guitar-laden music blossom into a bouquet of emotional pop, with a leap of maturity from records one and two. “Abstract/Natural” leans into this emotion even further, beginning with the pair of recent singles launching the album, the simple, insanely catchy ‘Wild Grasses‘ and the purposeful conviction of ‘The Dollywaggon‘, their knack of never doing the same thing twice on show in this pair, the latter seeing singer Mez spitting out what seems to be a string of consciousness, before the juddering guitars become more harmonious and the restlessness of the chorus line “I never wanted to leave myself, but I’m leaving now” becomes more urgent. ‘Drinking Games‘ perfectly encapsulates the two eras of the band, its slow-burning beginning exploding into a fireball of indie pop, the drums and guitars doing all the heavy lifting.
The merry shout-along of ‘Buried Giant‘, has Mez doing his best Mark E. Smith snarl, before the righteous gloom of ‘Morning Fog‘ brings down the curtain on an eclectically satisfying three quarters of an hour, an experience you will want to then enjoy again and again. It’s a body of work that feels both atmospheric whilst remaining intimate, a real experimental step forward that should sound fantastic live, a band at the height of their powers, and hopefully this record will see them attract a bigger audience to their output. They say life gets in the way, you should make sure that nothing gets in the way of exploring LIFE.
As its title suggests, the record fuses the abstract with the organic, weaving lyrics steeped in folklore, myth, geography, place and time. These elements converge into universal themes of escapism and journey, creating a vivid world in which the band broaden their creative lens. The result is a bold step forward, experimental and story-rich yet still charged with LIFE’s unmistakable dynamism. The album captures a band writing for themselves and for the community that forged them.
LIFE’s fourth album, blending abstract storytelling with organic, nature-inspired themes, released on 19 June 2026.
The Fat Angel Sings 