Song Review - Callow Youth - ‘Ballad of a Travelling Man’
REVIEW BY: HARRY HARTNEY
Alt-rock British band ‘Callow Youth’ have released a new single titled ‘Ballad of a Travelling Man’, following the drop of their EP ‘Straight To The End’ earlier this year in April. Starting out in late 2017 after leaving school, this dark and moody track highlights the band’s growing maturity as they tackle bleak apocalyptic themes, inspired by Christopher Nolan’s 2014 space-epic, ‘Interstellar’. The single really speaks for desperate and hopeless youths clambering for government action on climate change in the hope of a saved future.
The rising stars of North Manchester have dropped this sonically psychedelic track amidst a string of recently unveiled recordings: ’Man in Need’, ‘Bootleg’ and ‘Mad Machine’. The song, released under Golden Robot Records, was produced by John Delf, who has worked with successful bands such as The Chameleons in the past.
Callow Youth lead singer, Alfie Turner, has all the charisma needed to join the ranks of legendary Manchester frontmen (think Pete Shelley of The Buzzcocks or Liam Gallagher of Oasis), hitting the high notes of his carefully structured melodies with ease. His distorted vocals call back to The Strokes’ Julian Casablancas in their dominance of alternative rock in the early 2000s.
The track begins with a digital fizzing spit that transforms into a simple but effective riff, backed by a reversed guitar loop that really opens the song with an unnerving edge. ‘Ballad of a Travelling Man’s’ mind-bending onslaught is complimented by Turner’s fantastic lyricism that explores the feeling of time passing against your will as the end of the world begins: “All the white flowers are turning up black now/And the dust is rolling over, gotta find somewhere we can get our head down”.
The song’s steady start extends into a blistering chorus boosted by a combination of Nathan Wrigley’s thumping bass-lines and thunderous Connor Wilkinson drums, which he hits with authority. The grungy tone of Callow Youth’s past four singles contrasts greatly to earlier tracks such as ‘Over Your Head’ and the band’s biggest hit, 2019’s ‘Did It Really Matter?’.
A real stand-out of the song is the chemistry between Alfie Turner’s chord progressions and Tom Hilton’s soaring guitar wizardry, ending on the high of an epic solo.
‘Ballad of a Travelling Man’ is a really solid track that delivers on the shift in creative vision seen in the band’s past four releases, and presents an ever-growing maturity in both musical and lyrical writing. The single, which might be Callow Youth’s darkest yet, is now available on all streaming platforms.
ABOUT CALLOW YOUTH
We all know there’s something magical in the ‘musical waters’ of Manchester, as it has shaped so many excellent artists that have helped paint the picture of the UK's musical heritage. There are many bands who have been hyped up as the next big thing, but have come and gone with barely a whisper.
However, Northern Manchester-based Callow Youth are genuinely laying down a strong claim to write their own chapter in this proud musical heritage.
Starting out in late 2017 after leaving school, Callow Youth released their first demo EP Vibe in 2018. Their 3 ‘proper’ single releases to date perfectly highlighting a growth in maturity, both in terms of song writing and mastering their craft as musicians, that belies their tender age. Steve Lamacq has featured the band's 2019 single 'Red Leather' on his BBC6 music show and the track reached number 3 in the UK vinyl singles charts on release.
A host of acclaimed live shows across the country have also helped to cement their claim to be considered genuine contenders, a claim their loyal fanbase wholeheartedly testify to and indeed display when watching their new heroes. Callow Youth have had numerous radio plays all over the world and their combined singles streams has surpassed 300k on Spotify alone. The band's biggest Manchester headline show to date came in March at the Deaf Institute, which continued in their proud tradition of selling out headline gigs months in advance.
With new tracks already in the can and ready to release very soon, these guys are the real deal!
LISTEN TO 'Ballad of a Travelling Man' HERE
