LIINES – Keep On Going (self-released)
Manchester-based post-punk trio LIINES re-emerge following lockdown with single Keep On Going, digging deeper into their established sound.
Artist: LIINES
Track: Keep On Going
Label: self-release
Released: 3 September 2021
Find it: Bandcamp | Spotify
In unsettled times there is a certain comfort which comes from knowing what you can expect from a band, in the predictability of a sound. Surprises and departures are not always welcomed when everything has a precariousness about it. So, thankfully, with latest single Keep On Going from Manchester post-punk trio LIINES you can settle in comfortably as they commit more deeply to their driving rhythm and chant-like vocals; a sound they have perfected over the last few years.
Channeling their churning power Keep On Going brings the energy you’ve come to expect from them. The tight bass and drum interplay is present and accounted for, and as a typically short track it sits perfectly alongside their existing catalogue. Here there is a lead in of tribal drums, matched by a circling guitar riff that repeats around some of their signature pace changes, all contained economically and repetitively within the song’s two minutes. Insistent and energetic there’s a simple but positive mantra at the heart of the track.
Singer and guitarist Zoe McVeigh said of the track, “Keep On Going is a call to arms. The song is almost like a mantra – a chant. A reminder to put one foot in front of the other because that’s all you really can do. It’s a two minute blast of energy that signifies the need to just ‘keep on going, keep with me.”
Capturing the vigour of their live sets, and the mastery of space and timing we’ve heard on previous releases, is no easy task but once again producer Paul Tipler (Elastica, Stereolab, Idlewild, Placebo) brilliantly brings the brooding feel to the fore without smoothing everything out or dissipating their energy.
If you’re already a fan of what LIINES do – and they’ve rightfully built quite the following over the last few years and releases – then Keep On Going will be a welcome addition to their catalogue and it will undoubtedly sound massive on their forthcoming live dates.
Keep On Going from LIINES is out digitally now. The band has headline dates in autumn as well as festival appearances, and they have announced their second album will be out in 2022.
Find LIINES: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Spotify | Bandcamp
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Sarah Lay
A long-standing music journalist she's also co-founder of independent record label Reckless Yes, an author of novels, and when not messing around with words and music, a digital strategist.
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