Gretchen Shae & The Middle Eight’s ‘Exit Fire’ EP from 2022 introduced listeners to a band with an impressive amount of punch. That release’s best material mixed the slightly punkier aspects of Justine And The Unclean with a bass heavy undercurrent that drew more from a classic post-punk/retro alt-rock sound. What was abundantly clear, though, was that Gretchen knew her way around a catchy hook, with ‘Unnatural Love’ and ‘Red Light Green Light’ (in particular) flaunting choruses that were a match for any similar sounding acts from yesteryear.
The band’s 2024 follow up features just three tracks, but at least one of those is superior to past Middle Eight works. What’s more, by opening with a riff that appears to hint at a love of Joan Jett, ‘Heroes Shouldn’t Be Villains’ more than the suggests the band aren’t just about to repeat themselves here. The spacious arrangement, dominated by a stop/start riff on the verse, gives Gretchen a great base on which to stretch her voice, and she spends most of the number approaching a huge croon that really breathes life into an ominous lyric The further leaning towards a basic hard rock approach not only allows for a pleasingly chunky guitar sound throughout, but really shows how much clout this band has when attacking a timeless sounding riff. In terms of capturing The Middle Eight in a relatively old school mode, it’s certainly fun, but it’s fair to say that this EP’s other tracks are actually much stronger in terms of great arrangements and melodic chops.
Taking in more of a melodic, almost alt-pop feel, ‘Little Armies’ concentrates more on the bass to create a spiky verse, which shows off the band’s musical skills in a far superior way. Gretchen offsets the angular, almost funky groove with a smooth pop-ish vocal which creates an interesting contrast. The effect is like hearing old Romeo Void tunes meeting with Looking Glass War taking a goth pop voyage back to 1986, injected with the flow of a strong vocal. There are moments when that vocal is unafraid to go a little off-piste which further accentuates an older alternative feel, but without destroying a strong melody. In terms of building upon the sounds from their ‘Exit Fire’ release, this presents The Middle Eight in good shape, giving those who enjoyed that EP every bit as much of a musical treat.
Best of all, though, the title cut finds the band exploring an even stronger early 80s post punk/new wave inspired sound. The bass spends the whole of the number laying down a buoyant riff that’s almost danceable –and certainly infectious. The guitars latch onto a classic chiming tone, offsetting the flowing melodic core with bright chords that evoke old tunes by Martha & The Muffins and Holly & The Italians, along with a pinch of early Pretenders (with more volume, the guitar work could be a descendent of the much missed James Honeyman Scott). With a near perfect musical backdrop, Gretchen unleashes a vocal that mixes the mood of 80s alternative with a more contemporary post punk croon, always on the melodic end of a dark pop sound. It’s definitely one of her best performances. Taking everything into consideration – the natural vocal, the classic sounding musical arrangement, and the way the band fuses a dark streak into a great pop rock workout – this offers the ultimate reason to check out The Middle Eight if you’ve not already done so..
This may be short, but it’s massively enjoyable. For those who love post punk/hard edged indie and rock sounds, it’ll be a welcome listen, even for those unfamiliar with the band. With these three songs, Gretchen & her Middle Eight add something stronger to their catalogue, with the title cut being worth the price of admission alone. In a world awash with digital music, this will rely heavily on word of mouth, but it’s well worth seeking out. If it inspires anyone to backtrack and check out the band’s prior EP and earlier digital singles, it can be considered an even bigger success.
November 2024