Yorkshire is rapidly establishing itself as a creative powerhouse for exciting new music; for evidence, you need look no further than Pretty Addicted’s stunning ‘Soul for Sale’, or Delilah Bon’s compelling self-titled debut album, both of which were released this spring. King No-One is part of this roster of talent from God’s Own County. The alt rocker’s latest release, ‘Obsolete’, is their strongest single to date, blending the catchy with the confessional.
The band says, “Obsolete is about the pursuit of hedonism to mask the shame that depression can leave you with. And the first acknowledgment that you kinda suck and don’t want to suck anymore.”
The track’s opening is reminiscent of Babylon Zoo’s ‘Spaceman’, with an initial lyric/piano combination sharply unwinding before the song reboots with a glorious R&B/grunge mashup: upbeat, fresh and bursting with energy.
King No-One’s songwriting talent has steadily matured with each successive release since their 2014 debut with ‘Millennium’. With ‘Obsolete’, the inventiveness of the band’s instrumentals is matched by the intelligence of the lyrics, with the skillful use of simile to invoke a poignancy that counterbalances the song’s underlying optimism: “And when I’m on my feet I will run to you / But lately I’ve been dead, so until then / Decaying like a coastline in my bed…”
King No-One recently announced a UK/European headline tour for autumn 2021, and will play a number of UK festivals this summer including Y Not and Liverpool Sound City. Judging from the quality of ‘Obsolete’, you should grab yourself a ticket without hesitation.
Words by Andy Houghton
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