EP Review: Walt Disco - 'Young Hard and Handsome'
Walt Disco are here to save 2020 with the release of their debut EP, ‘Young Hard and Handsome’.
The Scottish sextet are known for their thumping rhythms and remarkable flamboyance, with this record being no different. Although their ‘Young Hard and Handsome’ tour had been postponed to March 2021, Walt Disco have kept us entertained during lockdown with the release of their single ‘Hey Boy (You’re One of Us)’. This, alongside the brilliant ‘Cut Your Hair’ and two new tracks, features on the new EP.
The influence of 80s New Wave does not go amiss on ‘Young Hard and Handsome’, blended in with both the angelic choir and aggressive shouting of ‘Hey Boy (You’re One of Us)’. It oozes unpredictability as the dreamy harmonies are shattered by the ever pounding beat. The limitless nature of James Potter’s vocals is shown within the track, ranging from the Bowie-esque to the chanting chorus. ‘I’m What You Want’ encapsulates the real theatricality of Walt Disco, bringing us straight in with an 80s bass rhythm. The desperation of Potter’s pleading ‘I’m what you want, I’m what you want’ is given a spotlight through the reoccurring electric riffs and building to a crescendo of guitars spinning out.
Walt Disco described ‘Cut Your Hair’ as if ‘OK Boomer – The Musical’ was a two-and-a-half-minute pop song. This track is a seamless blend of queerness and synth and an incredible pop-punk anthem to the power of individuality. The highlight of ‘Cut Your Hair’ is the brilliant interlude of vibrato’s and intensifying cowbell-like sounds, against the Potter’s proclamations of ‘Young, hard and handsome, darling!’. In the heart of Walt Disco, self-expression is paramount within their music and this sentiment does not falter in ‘Cut Your Hair’, matching the exuberant nature of their live shows.
The final track, ‘Heather’, is a stark contrast to the riotous pounding rhythms of the EP. Walt Disco has proven that they are a band that can do both. The delicate synth rhythm, alongside softer sounds of the electric guitar places ‘Heather’ as something reminiscent of a movie soundtrack. This is exacerbated by the twinkles of high synth tones and quieter echoes in the backdrop of the chorus. The romantic swirls of the extended notes are contrasted with the melancholic lyricism, as Potter finishes posing the question ‘Will I ever learn, and will I ever love?’.
‘Young Hard and Handsome’ captures the true essence of Walt Disco – flamboyant, freeing and fantastic.
Words by Jess Foster