Funk is back in Fashion - A review of Nara’s latest single

Funk is a hard thing to get right; too much and you’ve either gone back to the 70s or ripped off the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, too little and you’re too boring with no one wanting to get up to your song.

Nara have found that sweet spot in between the two where the bass forces you to get off your seat and dance. This goes some way to explain the huge interest in the band’s live shows pre-lockdown with a Night & Day cafe appearance and a Zombie Shack headline show under their belts in their home city of Manchester, all without even having a single released.

Now that their first single ‘Fashion’ has finally arrived, it definitely doesn’t disappoint, with its opening refrain that sounds like Coldplay’s ‘Adventure of a Lifetime’ being headbutted by a Northern guitar band, and almost spoken-word-like vocals being snarled at the listener. This is completely its own beast unlike anything else out there.

The lyrics flick from race relations to bands that talk about “being smashed” while lead singer Dan laments on “posturing” and “winners and losers”. There’s a real focus on fake people which couldn’t be further from the authenticity this track radiates.

The band have spoken previously about their plethora of influences from Talking Heads to Radiohead, and that genre fluidity is heard in the song. With the lack of funk in modern-day alternative music, it will serve them well in carving out a dedicated fanbase. Though this young band are “sick of… pretending to be cool”, this funky, bass-driven track might have just made them one of the coolest young bands coming out of Manchester and maybe even the North this year.

Never mind going out of fashion, this fresh-out-of-college band might be the ones making the trends.

Dominic Asher

Twitter: @domasher99

Image: Provided by NARA - Official single cover art