REVIEW: Plasticine’s latest single ‘Hive’
Few places have embraced guitars-as-escapism as famously as the towns and cities of the north. A region once defined by the rhythmic clatter of machinery and the subsequent silence of its decline, bands too many to mention have woven that legacy into a melancholic, yearning strain of alt-rock that juxtaposes the need to escape from one’s roots while retaining a fierce pride in them.
While that made some of those acts world-famous - I’m sure a few examples come to mind - ‘Hive’, the second single from Sheffield and Manchester-based Plasticine, proves that this furrow of post-industrial creativity still has life in the grassroots.
A mournful ring opens the track, little time wasted before the band launches into their full-bodied, shoegaze-influenced sound. While the interweaving dual guitars over driving rhythms may have a familiar feel, Plasticine display a gift for melody that sets them apart from similar acts. Contained within ‘Hive’’s three-and-a-half minutes are a wealth of hooks that linger, whether it’s the anthemic “get away, get away/get away, get away now” refrain or catchy instrumental breaks that punctuate throughout. It captures the aforementioned contradictions at the heart of growing up in a working community, lamenting the narrowness of its boundaries and longing to cross them, while also praying that the “chemical factories” that are the lifeblood of its inhabitants stay open.
These lyrics form the emotional core of the song and further help ‘Hive’ stand out from its peers. While the themes may be familiar, the imagery is uncompromising: gashes on arms and “pulsing, bursting veins” recall more overtly industrial acts such as Nine Inch Nails or Swans. In combination with the pace of the instrumentation and reverb-heavy production, it vividly sells an atmosphere of oppression and anxiety that’s energetic rather than despondent. Released, recorded and produced by Plasticine themselves, ‘Hive’ is an assured sophomore effort that succeeds in bringing something new to a richly laid table - and with the promise of more to come.
Words: Dave Cuthbertson
