The first release from INHEAVEN was the reverb-drenched anthem ‘Regeneration’, which combined crunching guitars and a stadium-filler chorus. It was an indication that this band were prepared to breathe a new lease of life into shoegaze.
Brand new release ‘Baby’s Alright’ premiered on Radio 1 last night and it just oozes confidence, from a band who are clearly not afraid to wear their influences on their sleeve. INHEAVEN are dreaming big, and why shouldn’t they? They’ve got obvious star power here, crafting beautiful pop melodies and adding some fuzz as ‘Baby’s Alright’ flies by much quicker than its 2:58 running time.
For the first time, we get to hear lead singer – and Johnny Depp lookalike – James Taylor’s voice, as he carries the song, chanting “Lonely kids of the USA, fight a war in a foreign state, no they ain’t got your technology, so we’ll burn them down with no apology”. Make no mistake, this song and it’s intentions are massive.
INHEAVEN definitely carry lots of transatlantic vibes – think of Japandroids, with much bigger pop intentions. That’s in no way a bad thing, the reason that INHEAVEN are so special is their ability to draw on huge guitar driven-rock, yet manage to keep it unequivocally gorgeous as they promise to be a festival highlight.
The South London four-piece have appeared on many ‘Ones To Watch’ lists for 2016 and deserve every mention of being there. With three singles released now, the two aforementioned along with the Jesus and Mary Chain-esque ‘Bitter Town’, INHEAVEN are proving that they’re worth the hype and have already managed to build such a unique sound.
Words by Jordan Gillen