Microshift
Forget everything you know about Hookworms. Ok, maybe not everything; the urgency and viscera both live and on record that led the five-piece to prominence across two blistering full-length LPs—2013’s Pearl Mystic and 2014 follow-up The Hum—remains. However, as they return with their much-anticipated third record Microshift, the title of the record connotates more than just the intended nod to the audio plug-in their vocalist MJ regularly uses; it could also be an understatement of a three-year narrative that’s brought about changing circumstances, influences and subsequent evolution.
The English psych-punks turn down the distortion and face their demons with a new, synth-y sound on their third album.
Rhye turns in another half hour of immaculate R&B with Blood, while Payroll Giovanni & Cardo’s Big Bossin Vol. 2 feels like liquid summertime, and Hookworms pull themselves back from the abyss on Microshift. These, plus AWOLNATION and The Soft Moon in this week’s notable new releases.
In an ever-changing landscape for British guitar music 'Microshift' deserves to expand the size of Hookworms hard-won community.
It's the beginning of the 2018 and talk of albums of the year right now is obviously churlish, but on Microshift we're hearing a band hitting their sweet spot with such an effortless swagger that we're sure this is a contender.
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Microshift utilises Hookworms' propensity for psychedelia and takes it somewhere new resulting in their most accessible record to date.
When floods destroyed Suburban Homes Studio-which is ran by Hookworms' MJ and birthed the band's two previous studio albums—it was hard to imagine a third Hookworms studio LP ever coming to fruition.
Hookworms recently revealed that with ‘Microshift’, they wanted “to make a record that when we played it would be euphoric.” This
The title of Leeds band Hookworms' third album, 'Microshift', is a red herring - it represents a major change of pace and a huge step up.
Beth Andralojc reviews 'Microshift', the new full-length by Hookworms
On their third album, the Leeds band shed some distortion to reveal powerful vocals and tough pop melodies – without sacrificing any intensity