Single Review: The Frontiers – It’s Alright

Sometimes you have to be pushed out of your comfort zone. And when a song like “It’s Alright” comes along to do so, you question why you don’t do it more often. Coming across The Frontiers at the end of last year as part of an excellent bill, this is an excellent opportunity to revisit the Ayrshire quartet.

Scratchy, punchy guitars from Keir Mitchell and Ross Phillips mingle with Dylan Canniffe’s menacing drumming and you instantly get a taste of what this band are all about. Take two of Britain’s biggest musical movements of popular music – British Invasion and Britpop – and you’ve got the idea.

This is a song perfect for radio airplay, with its relatable lyrics and hooks. The pop varnish on the alternative sound means it would be just at home on a big-name commercial station, alongside the daytime hours of a more rock-focused outlet before they get all dark and heavy and brooding as the evening draws on.

If anything, this is a lesson in how to take influences and make them your own. Too often you get presented with a band claiming to be an indie band and essentially all they’re trying to do is copy Oasis. Here, The Frontiers have constructed proper riffs to hold up against rhythm section to ensure you’ll be tapping your foot, nodding your head or full-on bouncing. Hell, there’s even a beast of a breakdown included for good measure.

Meanwhile, Mitchell’s vocals vary between pop punk sneers to cleaner pop tones to moments with a proper bite to convey the true angst buried in the lyrics. Whilst the guitars make for a airy, light-hearted music, they bounce well against the darker basslines to also build up the concept of light and shade the band are trying to convey.

“It’s Alright” isn’t typically music I’d listen to, much less review. But when a good song is presented to me, I need to admit it. Frankly, this is a great song and it bodes well for further material from The Frontiers. They’ve got everything they need already, how they continue to utilise it will determine their future. And if that’s not enough, the band are heading out on a quick run of dates across the Central Belt of Scotland to promote the release! If it’s anything like last time, it’ll be a blinder.

Tour dates:

  • 29th March – Bar Zero, Hamilton
  • 30th March – Midnight Breakfast Club, Bathgate
  • 31st March – 13th Note, Glasgow

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