Photo by Akos Szoro
Brighton quartet School Disco are back in their full psychedelic spiral with ‘What You Do, What You Say’. The final teaser for the upcoming SDIV album is made of the final lyrics written for it.
As it begins, the ambient fuzz of the guitar amps is first to your ears. The drums begin to hit the skins, pulling the listener up into the initial cinema of keys, cymbals and electric guitars. As the melody cries, it prepares us for the unexpected drop into something vibrantly energetic, loose and free from time, but tight and showcasing how together the band is. It’s probably important to note this is all before the first verse.
As the vocals enter, the atmosphere shifts again, slinking around more lightly. As the vocals leave, the riot returns. It’s controlled and hypnotic and smoky. Still, it is a battle of approaches, the same army of instruments conducted in two distinct manners.
The radio edit ends here. Those of us willing to follow the path for a total of eight minutes are rewarded, though. Emotions rise steadily, refusing to stop at the highest pace we’ve seen so far, charging beyond the point of no return without so much as a tap of the brakes. Their psych-rock love breaks into something almost prog, engrossing you in the complexity and lashing out through the haze.
Rory, on guitars, vocals and synthesisers, shares, “Musically, this was the song that also took the longest to write, but was maybe the most fun, it’s complicated structure and was one of the hardest, most challenging songs to play, but I totally love it harmonically and the way it sounds, I think everything sits so nice together I especially love the sound of the fender rhodes on this song. Obviously, a big jam at the end is always great to play live and explore ”
Teeing up SDIV, the band have already seen widespread acclaim. With a sound of distant vocals, instrumental stretches and a modern to classic balance that is intentional and perfected. Furthermore, tours across the UK and Europe have cemented a live presence at home and away, positioning them perfectly for a moment as rising stars.
Listen here:
