The Deadline Shakes’ new album, Zealots establishes the band as an energetic and creative band that is not afraid to experiment.

Opener ‘Bright Spot in a Bad Year’ commences with acoustic guitar and harmonising vocals, which gradually builds into an energetic pop track that also features an electric guitar solo and folk influences – opening the album in an enthusiastic and optimistic way; several tracks throughout the album continue this style (‘Sweeten The Deal’ and ‘A Little Waiting While’).

However, ‘Slipping From Your Heart’ and ‘When Will I Ever Learn’ openly move away from this positive feel, exploring heartbreak and sadness, each in different styles.

‘Slipping From Your Heart’ begins slowly and reflects the lyrical focus of the track however, similar to the album’s opening, it builds into a very over-the-top pop track.

Yet, ’When Will I Ever Learn’ is a very stripped back ballad featuring solely female vocals and reflects, much more accurately, the focus of the lyrics – that of sorrow and disappointment, coming as a surprise after some very lively and upbeat material.

This is something that reappears throughout the album, as there are several tracks that deal with difficult lyrical themes, however express them in a variety of musical styles, such as ‘Phonecalls In The Bath’ and ‘You’re Coming With Me’.

Another stands out is ‘Oh How!’, as it features no lyrics, only vocals, which harmonise alongside guitar; compared to the array of sounds we are exposed to throughout the album, this simplistic and relatively bare song offers a break between the beginning and end of the album.

Overall, this is a confident album that showcases The Deadline Shakes ability to create catchy pop tracks using a variety of live instruments, however frequently the vocals appear too intense and exaggerated to suit the music accompanying them.

That said, each track contains a different story and style, both lyrically and musically, which helps make it an intriguing album that will undoubtedly draw fans of both folk and indie/pop.

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Words: Orla Brady

As we await the soon-to-be realise of The Deadline Shakes new album, they gift us with their new single ‘Phonecalls in the Bath’.

Known for their vintage vibe with a mixture of rock, folk and eccentric pop operatic styles, ‘Phonecalls in the Bath’ brings everyone’s favourite pleasures into one extravagant song.

This track starts with a single gentle guitar, before being complimented by harmonies and the melancholy chords.

The vocals are haunting, but beautifully charming; the sombre vibe fades and crescendos into an extravagant upbeat and optimistic pop sound; a real head banger, especially with the contagious lyrics of “you’re taking your phonecalls in the bath, and telling me love wasn’t meant to last”

Again it fades to a gentle riff, this time more expectant, before going off on a new route once again.

‘Phonecalls in the Bath’ takes us on an emotional journey, a sweet concoction of melancholy and an epic melodic pop opera; The Deadline Shakes know how to fuse everything together and have created a refreshing track.

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Words: Olivia Campbell

Fresh from their track ‘Sweeten The Deal’ featuring in the People Make Glasgow advert from the dominant Commonwealth advertising, The Deadline Shakes have been making a noticeable impression.

Their new single, ’Slipping From Your Heart is a carbon copy of exactly what the band describes themselves as, “rock, pop, maybe some folk, it rolls and sometimes it bites”.

The song begins with a melancholy ode to a lover past and slowly descends in to a magnificent pop-rock powerhouse.

As they move from sad to powerful, their lyrics foreshadow what to expect as the lyrics proclaim: ’”you knew when i took your hand that I’d make you lonely, make you angry and see you sad”.

This song certainly takes you through this range of emotions with the six-piece taking you on a journey of ups, downs, soothing lullabies and loud guitars.

The instrumentals are impressive as the guitars, strings and piano create harmonious euphonies that allow each to not only stand out on their own but blend together as one.

‘Slipping From Your Heart’ is a melting pot of rock and pop that flows and swells to an altitude of pure enjoyment.

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Words: Katharine Gemmell