Album Review: SHEAFS - 'A Happy Medium'

SHEAFS, Sheffield’s up and coming post-punk band, release their debut album A Happy Medium - the sights are set high, coming off the back of a support slot with punk icons The Buzzcocks, and the album produced by the Grammy-award-winning Adrian Bushby.

Sheafs, made up of Lawrence Feenstra (Vocals), Chris Goodacre (Lead guitar/backing vocals), Charles Mellor (Guitar), Charlie Eastap (Drums), and Callum Wright (Bass guitar), are no strangers to great support slots. Having previously secured slots with artists such as The Slow Readers Club, Red Rum Club, Squid, Idles, Greta Van Fleet, The Coral and The Amazons. Their debut album, A Happy Medium, secures their spot amongst the post-punk scene.

En Route Distress kicks off the album with the first single exploding with 4 minutes of post-punk mastery, setting the tone for what appears to be a defining year for the band.

The second single, Millennial, is one of the heavier tracks, as Sheafs explained, “‘Millennial’ is a direct reference to our generation and the burden of trying to find success in every avenue of life. The track tries to echo the frustration that accompanies this so-called ‘pressure to succeed’.” With its fast-paced, repetitive tempo it encompasses the rat-race world of monotony which aims for the ever-undefined goal of success.

The third single, Vacancy, comments on the lack of wider beliefs and the negative effects of this. As Feenstra muses, “Four walls inside one island / Priorities are local / Disregard for wider culture / Feels selfish in a way.” This draws on from Millennial and a common underpinning of generational and cultural grievances. This only continues with the fourth and final single, Monotonal Living, which in the name suggests its stance, with “I’m so highly strung / My frustration in / Monotonal living / Monotonal living” being repeated six times, playing on the monotony Sheafs scream about.

The 10-track album is jam-packed with all-you-could-want guitar riffs, heavy drum beats, and perfectly moody vocals to create a well and truly punchy debut album for Sheafs.

A Happy Medium is released 15th July 2022 via Modern Sky UK.

Words by Jemma Lavine

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