Bolton 5-piece The Shed Project set to release highly anticipated second album.
Forming in 2018, The Shed Project have released 9 singles to date and one of the best albums 2022 in The Curious Mind of A Common Man to fan and critical acclaim in April 2022, which was full of amazing songs, that were heartfelt, emotional, direct and full of relatable lyrics reflecting on life experiences and social commentary.
Since the release of the debut, The Shed Project have been relentlessly rehearsing and playing storming gigs in some of the UKs iconic venues, including London’s The Water Rats, which frontman Roy Fletcher described as “the best gig we’ve ever done” and “an out of body experience” and earning a prestigious support slot with York indie legends, Skylights at Manchester Academy 3.
Here’s the ThisIsTheMusic song by song preview.
If You Know You Know was originally released back in 2022 as the lead single for album two. The songs opening takes you through a whistle stop tour of album 1, via radio static before exploding into life with a massive guitar riff, rumbling bass lines and thunderous drumming, which creates an enormous wall of sound. There’s a real The Stone Roses, Second Coming vibe with this track. Lyrically this track sticks two fingers up at the so called establishment elite and the chorus lyric, “If you know you Know Right Now” gets chanted over and over in the outro, which builds and builds into epic finale that will give you goosebumps.
Easy is full of the bands trademark swagger and groove, there’s a real baggy feel about this song, which is built around the lead guitar riff and with the thudding drums giving the song its groove.
Weekend Millionaire gives off 60s blues vibes, with the opening guitar riff and shows a different side to the band. The lyrics tell the tale of a character, a bit of a Del Boy, who spends the weekend living it up and spending the cash, yet the reality is they are skint: we all know someone like that!
The Crowd Pleaser opens with chiming guitars, that sound similar to The Cure’s Friday I’m In Love, before Roy’s vocal handles the verses high notes with aplomb, before it the song explodes into a infectious chorus, about a girl putting on a public display of positivity, yet inside she’s feeling alone.
Excuses is an acoustic driven jangle and it’s Roy at his absolute best. It’s damming of a friend who slips deeper into a life of drugs, who continues to lie to themselves, despite offers/suggestions into turning their life around. A heartfelt and emotional track.
Our Fear Is Their Power opens with various quotes from political figures and sees The Shed Project stick two fingers up at the establishment and the main stream media and sums up the mood of the work classes perfectly. It packs an almighty punch and serves as a wake up call to the working classes and has the hallmarks of Ian Brown. Full of swirling guitars and rumbling bass lines, this is one of Roy’s most passionate vocals he’s delivered.
Ghost Town carries a social commentary message and truth about a once vibrant northern town full of culture, tradition and value. Whilst speaking about the bands hometown of Bolton, it could be about any town centre across the country, that has become the victim of a lack of investment. The melody is hypnotic and makes it an instant toe-tapper. The guitars jangle and glimmer against the backdrop of the grooving drums with Roy’s vocal really hammering home the message.
Lower Than A Snake is the bands attempt to deliver a cross between a reggae and ska sound, which they’ve pulled off with ease. Theirs a great upbeat tempo to the song and the melody is insanely catchy and has a real Ian Brown influence. I really like how the band drop the pace to allow a screaming guitar solo to take centre stage and the rattle snake noises are great, before picking the pace up to take the song through to the outro. The lyrics are direct and aimed at certain people in the music industry and their treatment of bands.
Naughty is a baggy anthem of the highest order. It takes inspiration from the Happy Mondays and is full of synths, giving the song a trippy vibe and is a song about the ravers taking drugs and asking “is it really worth it”. The bassline is ferocious and Roy’s vocal is top notch, whilst giving a insight into his record collection, with New Order’s Blue Monday.
I’ve Got The Blues is a spine-tingling finale, it’s dominated by a piano, strings and Roy’s haunting, passionate vocal in the first verse. Verse two sees the drums and a glorious guitar riff, that has a nod to Oasis join in, which turns into a modern day anthem. Roy says this is the best song he has written and you can see why. It’s a personal track, sung with plenty of emotion and passion.
Our Fear Is Their Power is a classic album. It’s full of emotion, swagger and groove. It’s a rollercoaster of a journey and above all its honest. The Shed Project are a band that aren’t afraid to speak their minds and this is very evident across the album. However, there are plenty of tender moments and the musicianship on display throughout is of the highest order. The Shed Project wear their influences on their sleeves, whilst putting their own spin on it and running with it. Our Fear Is Their Power is an album of the year contender. It’s time for the Bolton wizards to get the credit and attention they richly deserve.
The bands second album, Our Fear Is Their Power is available to pre-order on vinyl or CD from Wax and Beans ahead of its release on 24th November, from the following page. Alternatively you can pre-save it here.
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