Album Review: The Sherlocks - 'Everything Must Make Sense'
The Sherlocks are honing in on their craft, solidifying themselves as one of indie rocks essentials.
This is a band that is going from strength to strength. A steady incline which has seen them have three top ten albums in a row, and a fan base which saw them headline Sheffield's iconic Don Valley Bowl. And they're not shy with this new record as the band have set their sights on this becoming their first UK number one album.
To achieve such a feat, you need big singles. And The Sherlocks have delivered that. Songs like Bones show the strut and the oozing of confidence that this group of lads have, with a stomping bass, aggressive tones, and a demeanor of importance. When speaking about bones, Kiaran Crook said “Our third single ‘BONES’ is a monster tune! Proper funky and proper driving. It’s the perfect example of us having fun in the studio, the songs in a mad tuning, there’s about four bass tracks happening at once, it just went a bit crazy whilst recording. But we were having fun, we didn’t want to restrict ourselves whenever it’s sounding good. This is our 5th record and if you can’t try out mad ideas by now, when can you? I think the fans are gonna really love this tune when they hear it. Definitely one to be excited about! It sounds like if Prodigy and Primal Scream had a baby, it’s a Monster!”
A monster is a good description. Other singles like ‘Man On The Loose’ sounds like it was born on matchday. It's arguably their most crafted work yet, but no doubt that it's their most confident. The song title definitely suits the swagger and attitude of this track. Their lyricism has grown too and littered throughout the album. Track three ‘How Are You Feeling’ paints the picture well of a failing relationship, clinging on with mad plans of having children to try save the ending of a relationship. Perhaps this is the band's therapy of venting of getting older but the album tackles themes of men's mental health and the struggles of everyday adult problems throughout, which makes this record as relevant as ever to its audience. There's great lyrical examples of this, like in the song ‘Bedlam Town’ with the driving hook of ‘get up / get up / get up don't talk about it’ or in ‘Better Alone’, ‘it was plain to see / you were all I needed / where would I be if not for you?’
The band have a big year planned to support this record, with a tour starting in Europe in April, and eventually coming to the UK for pretty much the entirety of May, including a support slot for Kaiser Chiefs in Plymouth. They have also already been announced to perform at their hometown festival Tramlines in Sheffield, and a massive support slot for Shed Seven in Manchester, and Leeds for July.
It's a big album, with a big attitude, and is sure to please both new fans, and old.
Words by Doug Dewdney
