Noah and the Loners – ‘A Desolate Warning’ review
Teenage punks Noah and the Loners are releasing their debut EP, A Desolate Warning, this week via Marshall Records and produced by acclaimed UK producer Neil Kennedy. This EP has been highly anticipated by fans and loved by those who have got a sneak peek on their recent tour.
The Loners consist of lead singer Noah Lonergan, Amber Welsh on bass guitar, Joseph Boyle on guitar and drummer Noah Riley. For the past two years, the punk rockers are known for holding a mirror up to society in the form of their lyrics, reflecting themes of social injustices, toxic masculinity, racism and political corruption. This new EP is no exception and goes in even harder with their frustration at the UK Government, as they take to the streets of London with ‘Crash Landing’.
Some fans may already be familiar with ‘Crash Landing’ as The Loners have already released a music video to it, acclaiming popularity with thousands of views already. Not to mention the fans who were lucky enough to already listen to this song live on their most recent tour. ‘Crash Landing’ sets the EP's tone with its energy and pure punk rock, as per the band's usual music style and lyrics.
This song is the perfect way to start this EP and serves as a ‘desolate warning’ for society, exploring themes of police brutality, disenfranchisement, and political corruption. Something some may argue the UK is heading for, or quite possibly already there.
You’ll find Noah Riley's drums don’t stop in ‘Crash Landing’ and that they won't give you a break as you come crashing into the net track ‘Just Kids’. Coming straight in with Riley smashing that kick drum and snare, then before long, the recognizable gritty vocals from Noah Lonergan come in. The track sounds angry, every musician is just playing so hard, which matches the theme of the song, it's as if the band are expressing their frustration and anger about the lack of representation and voice of younger people in education and politics. It’s the shortest track of the EP, clocking in at 1 minute 24 seconds, but oh boy do Noah and the Loners pack a lot of energy into this one. Lead singer Lonergan’s vocals are a highlight for this one.
You might have thought you would get a break from the constant rock and energy as we enter the longest track of the EP ‘You Make Me (Fall Apart)’, and you would be right... for about 40 seconds. The track starts off with melodic guitar riffs which isn’t the usual style for Joseph Boyle, but it works so well for the beginning of this track accompanied by the light drumming from Riley, followed by light quick vocals by Lonergan. The beat then drops and you won’t be disappointed, this is possibly one of the best drops of the EP, if not, the whole history of Noah and the Loners. I honestly don’t know how Amber Welsh keeps up on bass, must have been so difficult, I know I definitely couldn’t, the tempo just speeds up so quickly with such a heavy reliance on the bass – Truly an incredible musician.
This track certainly gives us a break from the political themes we have just heard but I still feel that this track holds deeper meaning. The constant repetition of Lonergan shouting ‘You Make Me Fall Apart’ resonates with the feeling of love, relationship and heartbreak to me and the chaos and quick tempo once the beat drops possibly reflect the internal feelings and struggle of emotion.
“Let me catch my breath” – A lyric from the next track in A Desolate Warning, really made me smile as this is almost certainly what you will be saying by the time you get to ‘Losing My Head’. It's definitely taking the tempo down and feels calmer than the previous track but that’s not to say that it still doesn’t hold the captivating energy that we have been held by the previous tracks and I think this one is my personal favourite from this new EP!
The themes it explores that many young people feel really hit hard and I feel that fans will feel a real emotional connection to this one as the lyrics resonate with their possible internal struggles and feelings. Whilst it might not have the same vibe and tempo as a couple of the previous tracks we have listened to, it is still quite quickly paced and a real headbanger.
The final track ‘Hell of a Day’ picks up the tempo that ‘Losing My Head’ didn’t use and it’s a real good track to end on, Boyle really brings in the energy into this one with some real epic guitar tones. What this track does well, is leave the listener wanting more, which is exactly what you want to do as a musician creating an EP, I can definitely see fans listening over and over to this EP to get their fix of punk rock.
I thoroughly enjoyed listening to thisEP and reviewing Noah and the Loners live in London at 22 The Venue. They have a real solid fanbase and they are clearly performing because of their passion for music and love for each other. If you like Noah and the Loners, you will love this new EP. If you’re new to the punk rock scene and haven’t heard of these, I can guarantee you will find something to resonate with and encourage you to give these rising stars a listen.
A Desolate Warning from Noah and the Loners is out 28 February 2024 via Marshall Records and available on all good streaming platforms.
