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Review: Latchstring ‘Solstice’

“Latchstring are a mildly noisy collective of liberal socialist feminist leftists, punk hardcore emo indie rockers and meat eating vegan vegetarians, some of whom will drink all of your beer but all of whom will drink your coffee and judge you on your books and records.”

Self-confessed noisy collective Latchstring have a new EP out called’ Solstice’. It’s the second offering from the Southampton based five-piece, post hardcore/emotional hardcore outfit, firmly rooted in hardcore punk. It’s a strong follow up to previous release ‘Demo 2016’. Heard it? You can check it out here: https://latchstring.bandcamp.com/album/demo-2016

“Latchstring are a mildly noisy collective of liberal socialist feminist leftists, punk hardcore emo indie rockers and meat eating vegan vegetarians, some of whom will drink all of your beer but all of whom will drink your coffee and judge you on your books and records.”

Self-confessed noisy collective Latchstring have a new EP out called’ Solstice’. It’s the second offering from the Southampton based five-piece, post hardcore/emotional hardcore outfit, firmly rooted in hardcore punk. It’s a strong follow up to previous release ‘Demo 2016’. Heard it? You can check it out here: https://latchstring.bandcamp.com/album/demo-2016

Solstice carries a nice little ode to our sunny city, having been engineered, recorded and produced by Time Greaves of Southsea Sound, who they have “known for a while”, through “a mix of Southampton house shows, coffee, DIY punk rock, and various check marks on the line marked ‘Emo’ at one end, and ‘Not Emo’ at the other”.

Interestingly, Latchstring didn’t pre-formulate any preconceptions as to what sound they should make so the music itself is very organic. It’s wholesome and I found that the more I listened to it, the more it grew. From the initial buzz of realising I liked it, to the noticing of smaller details, to playing it daily. Good work indeed. And, just to give you a handle, the record is “influenced by bands like Praise and Give and older bands like Fugazi, Verbal Assault and the work of Sarah Kirsch”.

Solstice is riddled with an ethical discontent, a persistent irritation that things aren’t as they could be. There is however, hope, echoed in the title, the idea that “the realisation that at some stage, things will peak and start to get better – we’ll pass a metaphorical winter solstice and spring will come, something that gives us hope in the Age of Trump”.

So, from the feeling of the last rays of sun in ‘Soundbite’, to the agitated bloom of ‘Orbit’ “It never reaches us, it never touches us”, from the frantic lashing of ‘Fossil’ to the final hope of ‘Solstice’; I can honestly say that they’ve well and truly given me a well-needed burst of faith in our future.

Latchstring have dates lined up over the summer and there’s still some time to catch them in April at the following shows:

Friday 14th April – Exeter Phoenix w/ @Larkhill and americansignlanguage.
Friday 21st April – The Festing Southsea w/ Rash DecisionHooked On ChristHACK JOB + Kontakta
Monday 1st May – Stag and Hounds Public House Bristol w/ Crusades + The Run Up

Website: www.latchstring.bandcamp.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/latchstring
Twitter: www.twitter.com/LatchstringHC

Photo by El Morgan


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