FEET’s ‘Busy Waiting’ tops off a trifecta of stellar and consistently exciting new releases

The newest track ‘Busy Waiting’ from English rock band FEET is the latest of a string of singles put out by the band this year in the run up to the release of their EP, ‘Walking Machine’.

A steady, post-punk-inflected banger, ‘Busy Waiting’ combines an unstoppable bassline with a laid-back, self-assured vocal performance that renders it almost conversational to the listener.

In regard to its sister singles, ‘Busy Waiting’ is distinct but still feels like it belongs. While ‘Peace and Quiet’ was unapologetic, in your face, guitar-driven anthem and ‘Library’ was a vaguely Summery and undeniably “indie” sing-along, ‘Busy Waiting’ aims to encapsulate (in the words of FEET’s lead singer) “the frustration of waiting for somebody to get a move on'', something it does perfectly.

 The lyrical content of the song captures those boring and mundane aspects of domestic life, from being “in the kitchen finding the soap” to having “food on my plate” that still needs eating and transforms them into something danceable and infectiously catchy. FEET takes scenes of everyday monotony and the annoyance that can come with them, scenes that I’m sure we’ve all had more than our fair share of over the past however many months living through lockdowns and self isolation and makes something good out of it all. It’s a real tune to soundtrack waiting for things to return to normal. 

To return back to how it fits with the other tracks off of ‘Walking Machine’ that have been released, ‘Busy Waiting’ is undeniably cohesive with ‘Peace and Quiet’ and ‘Library’ as well as the established sound and character of the band. Nothing feels out of place, with the panicky (in a good way) guitar riff that closes the choruses and the end that almost begrudgingly drags itself to a halt, both which serve to add character, something that this band has in spades. Character and charm is something that FEET certainly do not lack and it’s this quintessential signature that they mark their music and their entire brand with that makes each release so exciting. No matter where they draw their influences from, whether it be indie rock, Britpop, punk or something else entirely, each track they put out is indisputably their own. From what we’ve seen so far of ‘Walking Machine’, FEET’s newest release promises to be something to keep your eyes and ears peeled for. 

‘Walking Machine’ is set to be released on August 6th via Nice Swan Records and you can catch FEET on their UK Tour this August, specific dates and locations can be found on their website, https://feetband.co.uk/.  

Morgan Springer

Image: Percy Walker-Smith/Press