Relentless And Liberating: Courteeners – ‘Solitude Of The Night Bus’ Review

Words: Gracie Erskine

After a 4 year hiatus from their 6th studio album ‘More Again Forever’; Courteeners come clambering back onto the scene, certifying their indie treasury status with a lurid coalescence of electronic-pop rooted with their definitive indie sound. The upcoming album poses itself as a royal indie collaboration, featuring the subjects of DMA’s, Brooke Combe and Ian Skelly throned by the kings themselves.

Plucking away into the verse, the bass moors the track; mimicking the relentless misgivings the journey after the night before constitutes. Fray lyrically exploits these anxieties rolling off plosive, sibilant and colloquial poetry that feels distinct to his auteur, ‘flex my little wrists until the demons get the gist’, before he repeatedly pleads ‘leave me alone’. Liberating itself into the chorus with full irony as the whistle of
isolated solstice can only evoke the prospect that 2025 will see a certain Mancunian park rammed with a cacophony of fans echoing this back in unity. You’re not quite alone yet Mr Fray.

This soul sister track of previous fan favourite ‘The 17th’, feels like it has already earnt its encore position. And if you can’t quite envision the field of bucket hat wearing kids setting off flares to this, then you can find your own solitude in the track and listen below.