BLOB HALFORD the thin line between confidence and arrogance

BLOB HALFORD

The Thin Line Between Confidence and Arrogance

(03/10/24 self release)

Greater Manchester and Florida make for unlikely musical bedfellows. One gave us Miami bass, bro-country, and 50 years of chart-bothering pop, whilst the other is famous for its swaggering clash of indie rock and club vibezzz, plus Simply Red. But from this unholy tryst step Blob Halford, a Transatlantic love-child full of slinky, satiric, sexy charm. Welcome to your new favourite band.

Engineering a sound that nods to none of the aforementioned cultural touchstones, although these MFs have an abundance of swag, this Manchester-settled duo serve up a potent hybrid of ballsy blues riffs and fiery funk grooves that are delivered at punk intensity with a large helping of garage-psych weirdness. 

Kicking off with the raucous boogie of Y’all Gonna Love Me Or Not?, the band deliver a relentless opener that cranks the volume up to 11 whilst offering a glimpse of an alternative universe where James Brown leads a Southern Ramones intent on riffing in revere at the altar of rock & roll. It is gloriously over the top in the best way possible as the band embrace classic tropes whilst simultaneously shooting a wink at the listener with their wry delivery. Vultures treads a similar path via a knuckle-dragging riff that morphs into an ascending chord progression, all forward motion and agitated expression, whilst angular lead lines and sardonic vocals precede the wig-out of an ending. 

Monolithic grooves abound, particularly when the tempo drops and Matt’s laconic, hip-hop infused drumming style moves to the fore. Juggernaut is exactly what it says it is, boasting an unstoppable riff that circles around in various iterations before settling into a three-note groove. This blueprint works for How Words Turn, but with added wah-wah, swathes of discordant guitar noise, and rabid philosophising. Speaking of wah, BDM is prime Shaft-era Isaac Hayes meets schizophrenic stoner that’s been rolled-up into a ball and pitched at your head with scant regard for anything other than making a wild impression. 

Beyond the grooves and riffs, Tha Blob reveal themselves to be bags of fun. Catchy hooks and funhouse-themed guitar solos add a lightness of touch, while the lyrical approach revels in dark humour and ironic twists that reveal an underdog spirit, especially on lines such as “Being a fucking nobody, it don’t mean shit to me” from personal favourite, And This Is For You. At times it feels as if vocalist/guitarist Lee Daintry is holding court from a different dimension, seemingly ad-libbing on both his instruments whenever the fuck he pleases. Oh, and nobody delivers the f-bomb quite like this man. The guitar tones and textures are varied, the songwriting dynamic, and production is crisp and clear but with a raw edge and live feel. 

Amidst the bouncing rhythms and twisted riffs lies album centrepiece, Outstanding. The tempo crawls and the guitars creep, with whispered vocals gently meandering along your ear canal and into your brain. It’s like nothing else on the album, yet somehow it feels like the quintessential Blob Halford moment. Stretching out over seven minutes, the song licks its wounds and gazes at its navel, proffering a personal pep-talk and pick me up ahead of an intense latter section that rides the boogie once more, acting as a manic high against the surrounding lows. 

Once you listen, you can’t un-listen, so grab the incense sticks and dim the lights… Blob Halford will save your soul.

Judge for yourself: Blobhalford.squarespace.com