Northern Captives - ‘DIZZY’ review
Northern Captives
Taking the UK alt-rock scene by storm, Lincoln-based three-piece Northern Captives are debuting their first ever full-length album DIZZY—and I, a Lincoln native myself, could not be more excited. Compiling 10 of the best tracks composed by the band between 2021 and 2023, DIZZY showcases not just the technical and lyrical finesse of the trio, but their ability to build a story and truly impact the lives of their listeners.
Introducing the album with intense instrumentals and hard-hitting lyrics, ‘A Miracle’ is one of many previously unreleased tracks featured on ‘DIZZY’. It is a perfect introduction to those unfamiliar with Northern Captives’ nostalgic sound and critical lyricism—telling the story of a desperate desire for time to slow down, of being unable to catch up with the progression of life around you, ‘A Miracle’ establishes the running theme of this album: in the words of singer/guitarist Sam Cook, “the struggle of staying positive, creative, and happy in modern society.”
Cook’s vocal ability shines through in this opening track, with the dichotomy of his melodic, slow-paced verses, and his fast, hard-hitting choruses, balanced perfectly with the underlying melody by bassist Steven Haddock, who successfully shuts down the often-pedalled concept of an unheard-bassist. Despite being the shortest track on the album, ‘A Miracle’ is jam-packed with everything that makes Northern Captives stand out from the crowds of alt-rock bands chasing the iconic sounds of the early-2000s.
‘Killed the Creative’, the second track on the trio’s debut album, is definitely the one I found myself air-drumming to the most. Drummer Jack Gregory’s technique and intensity fuels the heart-pumping track, while Cook’s tongue-in-cheek opening verse helps to make ‘Killed the Creative’ one of the more up-beat moments in DIZZY. This remains among my favourite tracks on the album, if not entirely in thanks to the instrumental bridge in between the last two choruses—where all three musicians come together to create a musical interpretation of panic; most especially with the way that guitarist Sam Cook transforms his guitar into a warning-siren, instilling fear and adrenalin in the listener.
Track number two is cynical, criticising the previous generation for handing down a broken past, responsibility and stress—yet, simultaneously, ‘Killed the Creative’ is a song filled with hope, reminding the listener that above all else, we must look from “the past we inherit” to “the future we build.”
Taking a break from the brutal and blood-rushing style of the first two tracks, pre-released single ‘Anxiety Dreams’ is truly an elegy to your own past. It’s one of the songs that spoke to me the most—lyrically, ‘Anxiety Dreams’ paints a picture of a devastating break-up, though not with another person.
‘Anxiety Dreams’ perfectly captures the simultaneous desire to “break the hold” that your own fears have over you, and the absolute terror at doing so. Northern Captives have managed to eloquently portray the internal debate of comfort versus confidence in this track, and it leaves the listener with the reminder that this is not an individual experience; but that everyone, even those confident enough to take to the stage and sing their hearts out, experiences anxieties—and it is allowing these anxieties to control us that leads to losing yourself.
‘Living In-Between’ keeps up the softer sound established by ‘Anxiety Dreams’, and is the pinnacle of emotional alt-rock. Cook’s haunting vocals, the distortion on his guitar, Haddock’s consistent bassline, and the despondent messaging behind the lyrics combine in telling the story of finding yourself stuck in place—the ‘In-Between’. The dreamlike imagery of DIZZY’s album artwork encapsulates the fantastical feelings of conflict invoked by this song, and the message of isolation and ostracisation, of not fitting in and falling into line.
Equally dreamlike in nature, track five & pre-released single ‘Distraction or Cure’ gives the audience one clear message: “Kill your ego.” More specifically, that your ego is an unneeded “placebo”. Bassist Steve Haddock, in discussing the topic of art, made note of how the best art is “timeless and emotive...the ambiguity allow[s] the listener and the viewer to apply their own narrative to the artwork.” I believe this shines through in ‘Distraction or Cure’ most of all; interpretable in a multitude of ways, even the title alone gives way for discussion and deliberation over the nature of ‘distractions’ and ‘cures’: if these two things are to be viewed separate, or one in the same.
Track number six, ‘Cats Eyes’, brings us back to that iconic sound cultivated by Northern Captives throughout their individual tenures as musicians; a deeply nostalgic track, the imagery of late-night drives through Lincolnshire and the helpless searching in the dark road ahead, guided only by cats’ eyes, longing to see signs of comfort and home, resonates heavily with me. ‘Cats Eyes’ is the sort of song that a parent and child might someday have memorised in order to sing and scream-out together on one of these drives—a new classic upon which timeless memories can be built.
Musically dark yet lyrically motivating, the next track—aptly titled ‘Guilty Room’—utilises a groovy bassline and ground-thumping kick drum to hammer its point in. A more abrasive approach than the other tracks, ‘Guilty Room’ directly confronts the listeners with a beautiful blend of mind-blowing metaphors and direct modal imperatives. “The past feels heavy but you can’t be afraid to fail”, the overarching meaning of the song, rings true for all of us: you will never come to terms with your own past if you refuse to risk looking on into the future.
The next two tracks—‘Nostalgia’, and ‘Joy’ [featuring Mancunian punk-band WYRES]—act in-tandem with one another. ‘Nostalgia’, with its instrumental overflowing with emotion and lyrics mourning the loss of a younger self—“feels like somebody else and not me”—pairs perfectly with ‘Joy’ as a follow-up, criticising the audience for the same thing—“you don’t know any more whatever brings you joy”. Two shorter tracks, their placement together on the album is ingenious, allowing them to work together as both self-reflection and external criticism, displaying simultaneous hypocrisy and growth. The beauty of these tracks is their ability to function independently as head-banging tunes, whilst also blending together in a manner that makes a listener confront their own attitudes to their past.
If your heart isn’t shattered and your cheeks are not soaked by the time you reach track number ten, prepare for that to change. The eponymous closer ‘Dizzy’ is the epitome of Northern Captives’ messaging. With the sound of an end-credits track to a feel-good, summertime, coming-of-age film from the early-2000s, ‘Dizzy’ left me in tears. It’s a spot-on summary of the life, thoughts, and fears of a creative in the modern day—of the way that searching for a purpose or a reason to create art can leave you feeling lost, of the fear that “the pictures we paint, nobody views, because nobody cares what we do,” and the conflict of the fact that “[there is] nothing to prove; still [there is] somehow an awful lot to loose.”
I came out of ‘DIZZY’ feeling—for lack of a better word—dizzy. With a new outlook on the process of creation and the passage of time, I can comfortably say that Northern Captives’ debut album will stand the test of time as one of the greatest pieces of music storytelling to have come out of the UK, and it makes me immensely proud to come from the same town as them. Each track shines as prime examples of the skill and range that these three talented men possess, and sets the groundwork for a thrilling career in the future. I am eager to turn the volume up when Northern Captives grace the radio, and listen to the same track again and again until I can stand it no more.
DIZZY from Northern Captives is out 2 May and available on all good streaming platforms. Catch the album debut gig at The Komodo in Lincoln on 31 May.
