Music / alternative
Townhouses: New year, new EP
While most are still rubbing bleary eyes and stretching out the festive kinks, eclectic guitar band Townhouses have got their new year off to a flying start.
The DIY five-piece have hurled themselves at 2025, celebrating the release of their debut EP, New Year, New You on January 3 with a live show at The Louisiana.
It’s a self-assured statement record that earned Bink Bonk studios – previous hosts Bristol’s beloved noise merchants IDLES – their first ever noise complaint as a result of Townhouses recording sessions.
is needed now More than ever
But it’s more than a straight-up rock sound. The EP offers up a depth of styles and subject matter that combines post-punk and shoegaze with 60s-style psychedelia, surreal sounds and motifs exploring the nature of change and finding identity in ‘this strange modern world’.
“To me personally it represents a fresh start and the turning of a new leaf,” said vocalist Alex Wander, who is part of the art collective Below the Belt; “I hope to share that with people who listen.”
Wander, who is the group’s main songwriter as well as producing the project, explained the themes of the EP’s four tracks.
Opener There She Goes is a love-fuelled adrenaline rush, but New Year, New Me quickly takes a darker turn, facing topics of love, delusion, and masculinity head-on.
Townhouses have been making a name for themselves over the last year with local shows and jaunts to play in Europe – photo: Townhouses
Coming to terms with grief, addiction, and heartbreak in Midnight Express, the narrator reaches a low with When the Men Come, ultimately rebelling against their depression.
Finally, the EP’s narrative concludes with You Take What You Want – a heartfelt, reflective track reminiscent of lo-fi Stone Roses or next-gen Brian Jonestown Massacre that comprises a note-to-self which finds the silver lining and beauty in it all.
“This past year has had many ups and downs personally, but this EP marks the start of something new for Townhouses,” the band said. “New Year, New Me is a rebirthing; so boil the carcass and bathe in its milk.”
Listen to the EP at https://open.spotify.com/album/47FRI87Ia08Ye1tuDSNrAd?go=1&nd=1&dlsi=8b6779196b8a458e
Main image: Will Newman
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