TV Priest - Uppers

Lord knows the music industry needs some positivity right now.

Already crippled by the pandemic, the Brexit deal leaves musicians facing a future that’s even more uncertain, being forced to drown in the bureaucracy of visas and permits before they even board the bus to perform in Europe. That’s if there’s any venues to play at.

There’s no doubt about it, things are beginning to get very grim for our favourite industry, but there are chinks of light and hope – it’s just a case of looking harder.

TV Priest’s tale is almost one by the fairies: four childhood friends (vocalist Charlie Drinkwater, guitarist Alex Sprogis, bassist and keys player Nic Bueth, and drummer Ed Kelland) start a band which fizzles out for unremarkable reasons, with each member going off to live their respective lives.

With their sound eventually becoming more and more acceptable, the friends gravitate first towards each other then the rehearsal room, and put on a gig for their loved ones. Now, over a year on, they are signed to legendary label Sub Pop and releasing their debut album, still only with one gig under their belt.

It’s the sort of story that plays well on The X Factor but rarely happens in alternative music. However, good backstories don’t equal good music, so what of the album itself?

https://www.live4ever.uk.com/2021/02/album-review-tv-priest-uppers/