The Fierce And The Dead’s fourth album, ‘News From An Invisible World’, marked a bold step forward for the band. With that record, they took their already distinctive sound from an instrumental, post-rock sphere into something song based with the addition of Kevin Feazey’s vocals. This had the effect of making a couple of their songs sound a little like a more interesting Queens of The Stone Age with proggy inflections, but it proved they were willing to experiment more than most rock bands at the time of release.

The first taste of “album number five”, ‘The 1234’ isn’t so much a big step forward as a step sideways. That said, the tightly arranged number offers plenty of interest for the Fierce/Dead fan. Opening with a few abrasive guitar notes, the track immediately promises something rocky, then by introducing into a distorted riff that sounds like peak Sonic Youth hammering out ‘Richard III’ by Supergrass, the band tap into their noisier side with ease.

Dropping into a quieter verse, there’s a melodic core that blends the song-oriented sounds of ‘Invisible World’ with the crushing riffs of bits of ‘The Euphoric’, allowing everything to be easily recognisable. Feazey sounds even more comfortable with his role as vocalist at this point, while the contrast of distorted bass and shimmering guitar bring something to the fore that sounds like “classic” The Fierce And The Dead. Steve Cleaton’s heavier guitar sounds suggest a weightiness in other places that will make this track an immediate favourite in the live set, and Stuart Marshall’s drumming appears able to shift between the different moods required while sounding very natural..

There’s a lot packed into a little over three minutes here, and although the overall sound would fit comfortably with the tracks on the previous LP, there are enough subtle differences to pique interest in the new sounds from this most cult of UK bands.

Via the band’s Bandcamp page, ‘The 1234’ has also been coupled with a remix by Blue Dragon Ritual, which sounds very little like the original track. That said, there’s a lot to like about this bonus cut due to its presence of ambient synths, dub-esque basslines and trip hop rhythms. The elements blend in such a manner that it makes the melody sound like a 90s tribute to a 70s film score, bringing something very different to the Fierce And The Dead canon.

Take a listen below.