Hailing from the former mill town of Blackburn, Lancashire, Echoglass has been carving up the international stage with a delicate medley of diverse sounds, creative arrangements, and enduring aesthetics. Formed in 2016, the trio of DA McKenna, Remmy, and Bo quickly built their sound on a shared love of the North West’s musical heritage. Taking lead from the likes of Shaun Ryder, Ian Curtis, Pete Shelley, Gary Aspden, LS Lowry, The Beatles, James, Oasis, Mark E. Smith, Ian Brown and Morrissey, to name just a few, the band cobbled together a unique and enduring sound that has since gone on to impress fans and critics alike.
Proudly independent and releasing their music on Darkhouse Recordings, the Echoglass first cut their teeth in music by busking, begging, and pulling every trick in the book, doing what they had to in order to feed their need for exquisite dining, fine alcohol, casual terrace wear and Spezial things. After releasing their debut single, ‘Last To Know’ in 2017, the band have laid waste to the music scene, breaking boundaries and pushing their driven sound across the great American Wilderness.
Their second single, ‘Blackburn Boulevard’ followed in early 2018, following a similar path, but it wasn’t until third single ‘Lonely’ that we really get to know them. An ambitious and poignant single that we proudly featured on our website, ‘Lonely’ set the wheels in motion, building a platform from which they now release ‘Hard’.
A back-to-basics single that harks back to the golden age of thrashing guitars, Hammond organ, and pounding, relentless drums, the new single is a striking example of the power lurking behind the Echoglass name. Heavy-handed vocals strike a chord, pushing through the maelstrom of electric guitar and percussive hits, while the lyrics impact upon the listener with a dense and lingering touch. It’s a magical thing, particularly when the strong line that the ‘Hard’ rallies behind refuses to relent, creating an enduring legacy that won’t be forgotten anytime soon.
Complete with a landmark new music video (which will be released soon) and cover art reminiscent of The Smith’s old classics, featuring Rob Bremner, a cultural archivist and photographer prominent in the ‘80s and ‘90s, everything about ‘Hard’ is built to be a cohesive and dominating masterpiece.
A step above anything that the band have produced so far, there is an experimental flair that demands to be pursued further, offering a glimpse of The Stone Roses’ ‘Second Coming’ and shades of The Happy Monday’s early Factory Records days. A semi-industrial wonder, ‘Hard’ carries with it glimpse of Echoglass’ previous releases, along with the distinct sound of something new, and whether it’s a one-off experiment or a complete evolution, we’re fully behind it.
Available from the 14th of November onwards on all major streaming platforms, ‘Hard’ is the undeniable sound of a band coming into their own and making waves, pushing for something bigger and succeeding in more ways than anyone could imagine.
Score: 9/10
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