Reardon Love Prove They're A Band Of The People On Poignant ‘Supreme Heartache’

Hull was designated as the UK culture capital in 2017, the title being bestowed upon the East Coast port city for four years. Maybe it’s no surprise then that Reardon Love, a band who happily and proudly find themselves on the right (albeit left) side of the culture wars, was formed in the city during that period. 

As self-confessed culture warriors, who in a 2019 interview claimed to want their music to be a ‘Champion of the underdog’,  their music reflects the sign of the times. The anger, angst, and most tellingly betrayal they feel and convey to their audience can be felt no better than on their latest EP – the aptly named ‘The Unsung’.  

Lead single off their release, the stunning ‘Supreme Heartache’ is a 60’s inspired mellow ride of feelings of injustice and heartbreak, yet also harks to the youthful exuberance of a relationship against the world. The track is all light drums and The Smiths-inspired reverbed guitar licks yet lead singer Matt Fletcher’s trademark northern swooning vocals add a layer of grit to the shimmering sounds of the song. 

“Flo, you were a diamond in the rough / Your treatment was nothing short of unjust / And all because your face, it didn’t fit” sings Fletcher, in one of the more poignant opening salvos that can be heard this year. It sums the contents of the track up well, as the feeling of hardship and difficulty found in the lyrics are at odds with the sunshine vibes of the music.

Reardon Love are an exceptional example of how hard and difficult times can produce the best art. They wear their crown of the kings and queens of the underclasses heavy on their heads, and the lyrics might reflect that, but Fletcher isn’t shy of a witty line and their music doesn’t buckle under the heavy weight of the themes they explore. Reardon Love, it seems, will be there for us when we need it most. 

James Ogden 

Image: ‘The Unsung’ Official EP Cover