Bilk - 'On it'
Bilk crash back onto the scene with new single On It comes in anticipation for their upcoming album Essex, Drugs and Rock and Roll.
Their self-titled first album is a tribute to the indie garage rock explosion in the mid 2000s, with the band citing the likes of Arctic Monkeys, The Streets and Jamie T as inspirations, but with this new track, alongside their lead single F Up released at the end of August, they seem to be exploring slightly punkier influences, but still feature indie rock as the core genre to their sound.
Verses feature simple drums, and a dark but groovy bassline accompanied by Sol Abraham’s swagger as he plans to 'get f***ed up tonight’. Through casual and speech-like vocals, he talks us through stages of a night out from the anticipation and his ceremonious entrance clad in shades to hearing the birds tweeting in the morning and a sprint to the toilet. Things that are surely all too relatable to fans and listeners.
The chorus explodes with more energy with an anthemic pledge to ‘get on it’. It's a simple repeated line but it works in this style of music, especially with the vibe Bilk deliver. It’ll be sure to bring energy to head banging and mosh pitting crowds once Bilk are able to debut it on their album tour across February and March next year in the UK and parts of Europe.
Bilk’s second album comes out in the new year on January 24th and they’ll be hoping it takes them to new heights.
Whilst the Essex band cheekily feature their home county in their forthcoming album title, the story this song depicts is certainly not exclusive to this area. It's an immensely relatable chain of events occurring in the lives of most young people up and down the country, and indeed the world, almost every weekend. Whilst the cheap thrills and hedonistic rituals the band very often describe in their music may not be as trendy as they once were, it’s nice to hear a young band write about what they know, and just have fun with it. They certainly aren't trying to be anything they're not, culminating in a totally relatable and authentic vibe in their songs and as a band overall.
Words by Luca Jarman