Despite how bad 2020 may have been, there’s been a consistent output of great new music. The newly-released debut single ‘Aengus’ Fool’ by folk/rock band Sleep Walking Animals is no exception to this trend.
For the past year, the five-piece Manchester/London-based band have released behind-the-scenes footage from the recording process for their album in the legendary Abbey Road Studios. Although the band has previously released two songs, ‘Aengus’ Fool’ is their highly anticipated first single, and it was finally released on 14 February.
Just like their two previous songs, ‘Aengus’ Fool’ includes a uniquely harmonious sound which features the incredible and atmospheric lead vocals by Tom Glynn-Carney. The sound has been made up of a mix of acoustic and electric guitars, played by Joe Etherington and Alex Harford; bass, played by Jack Brett; and Nuwan Hugh Perera on percussion.
The song starts with a build-up of vocals that chants “love looks good on you / love looks good on you” before exploding into the folk-rock sound that is similar to their previous songs and is starting to become their unique signature sound. This, mixed with the harmonic sound and poetic lyrics makes it obvious that the band are masters in their field, and is part of the reason why the song was chosen as our ‘Song of the Week’.
In an Instagram post, the band described the single to be a ‘‘confession of infatuation and desire’’. ‘‘This track means a hell of a lot to us. The first song we all wrote together and it’s been a long long time in the making, so thank you for waiting,’’ the band also wrote in their Instagram post.
The band has announced that this is only the first out of several new tracks that are planned to be released later this year. And by starting out this strong with their first-ever single, Sleep Walking Animals are definitely a band to keep your eyes on.
‘Aengus’ Fool’ is now available to stream on all major streaming services.
Words by Alice Sjöberg
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