Giant Killers are a Brighton-based band who have just hit my radar through the release of their debut album. It’s an album that’s taken awhile to see the light of day, having been originally recorded nearly three decades ago. As well as introducing us to the band, the album release is a fundraiser for the Campaign Against Living Miserably.
By Graeme Smith
Giant Killers are the indie pop duo of Jamie Wortley on guitar, keys and lead vocals, and Michael Brown on bass, keys, brass and vocals. Back in 1995, they were signed to MCA records. The label released two of their singles, and the band even opened for Blur on their Country House tour, before their album was buried. It’s taken until now for them to get the rights back and it’s true that good things come to those who wait.
Songs for the Small Places feels at once a throwback and a contemporary record. Music, like fashion, comes in waves and the ’90s are very much back in. At the same time, this album feels like an excavated treasure, a direct shot in the arm for those who grew up in the ’90s, and food for thought for those who are just discovering it now.
Opening with a slow build, first track Around the Blocks lures you in gently before arriving at its melodic Britpop stride. From there we go on a ten-track journey that provides bright yet reflective highs (Who Am I Fooling? This is the Time of our Lives), groovy middles (Billy the Kid, One for Georgie) and melancholic lows (I Hoped One Day You Would Know My Name, Let Me In). They truly don’t write them like this anymore, and Songs for the Small Places is a dizzying tapestry of human stories and vivid vignettes. Upon arriving at album closer For the Small Places, you’ll feel like you’ve lived a dozen more lives.
Songs for the Small Places is available now on major streaming platforms via Little Genius Recordings, and can be purchased on Giant Killers’ Bandcamp page. £2 of every sale will go directly to the Campaign For Living Miserably, the suicide prevention charity. You can check out the album below.
Supported by Musosoup #SustainableCurator
