The Velvet Hands, Toby Mitchell, Dan Able, Louis Mitchell and John Logan formed amidst Cornwall’s blistering garage-rock scene, the four-piece relocated to London and have been described as bolshy, brash garage punk rabble-rousers somewhere between the attitude of early Cribs or Libertines colliding with the death or glory of the Clash.
They release a new EP `Caller` this month which follows on from the band’s ‘Sucker Punch’ album.
`I Don’t Care` leads us in and it`s a fairly anthemic sing along with some call-and-response chorus hooks and grinding guitar riffs. A song about punching through paranoia of which guitarist and vocalist Dan Able has shared is “Lyrically the song is about how you can get caught up in anxieties and negative introspection, and the feeling of freedom of shaking those feelings off.” We enjoy a more pulsating foot tapping beat with `I’ll Be Free` with its jangling guitar riffs, piano keys and lyrics that hint at possible life changes that will assure more independence from a stifling relationship and hopefully leading to a liberating life to follow.
Title track `Caller` is a mid-paced outing which is fairly introspective and quite dreamy with a throbbing bass line and some almost retro guitar hooks throughout. A song that seems to be about connecting with friends or a lover when out of sorts. The final cut `3AM` according to guitarist and singer Toby Mitchell “It’s a song about escaping small towns in your mate’s car, about how being young can be so lonely, and how the future is bright. We wanted the verse to feel like the small towns we grew up, analogue and woody. We wanted the chorus to feel like the future, full of flashing lights and hope.” A fairly illusory number that`s full of hope and reflection.
Physical copies of the new EP have a cover of `Chick Habit` or `Laisse tomber les filles` a French song written by Serge Gainsbourg and originally performed by France Gall in 1964. Here it`s brought up to date with the notable French vocal part performed by Parisian Lise L of French feminist Grunge band Pythies. A number that has an almost Franz Ferdinand vibe about it.
The `Caller` extended play is an interesting and varied flavour of where The Velvet Hands are today and almost a taster of what`s to come with their much anticipated third long player which is already underway with a release being eyeballed for Spring 2026.
Rating 8.5/10
