A delightfully energetic offering of guitar-fueled indie: be prepared to become obsessed

Spearheaded by bands such as Fontaines D.C. and Idles, the last few years have seen a pretty big resurgence of British and Irish post-punk. Liverpool-based quartet Courting have successfully solidified themselves as ones-to-watch in the rising movement; having enjoyed features on several 2020 end of year lists, including the NME 100 and DIY Hello 2021.

Consisting of Sean Murphy-O’Neill (guitar/vocals/but more importantly cowbell), Sean Thomas (drums/vocals), Michael Downes (guitar), and Sam Brennan (bass), the four-piece have built up a rather impressive following in the Liverpool indie scene since their first two singles, Not Yr Man and Football (both of which were self-released). Their debut EP, Grand National, has been hotly anticipated; and it’s safe to say that it doesn’t disappoint.

Described by Murphy-O’Neill as the band’s “best and last look at Middle England”, the opening track, which has been featured on BBC Radio 6 Music’s playlist, is a damning critique of the cruelty involved in horse-racing, and the culture of gambling associated with it (“I don’t care if he dies / It’s entertainment”). Grabbing your attention from the first second, the song is powered by loud, unapologetic, Libertines-esque guitars; frontman Sean isn’t wrong when he defines the track as “huge”. Essentially, it’s a banger. 

The music video was originally meant to be filmed in a high-street bookie, in what would be the “ultimate prank”; however, the plan was pulled when the shop realised the meaning behind the song and how they’d quintessentially be the “butt of the joke”. As you can imagine, that would’ve created quite the stir.

Already previously released as a single in 2020, the second track, Popshop!, is possibly my favourite from Grand National. A slightly less heavy sound than the opening track, parts of the tune are reminiscent of early Arctic Monkeys. The overall vibe, however, is much more like bands such as FEET or Sports Team; not a huge surprise, given that the latter once released an EP on Courting’s current label, Nice Swan Records. To me, Popshop! sounds like it was made for live performance, and makes me think of summer festivals (let’s hope we actually get to go to some this year); the build-up around the chorus definitely has mosh-pit potential written all over it! 

Crass is one of the two previously unreleased tunes on Grand National. With tongue-in-cheek lyrics touching on egotism and class divide (“Sometimes I go up North / But only to take pictures”), the track appears to be another cynical, yet humorous, jab at Middle England. Still maintaining the general style of the first half of the EP, Crass has a slightly darker tone, driven by a prominent bass line, with definite echoes of shame in the vocal delivery.

The EP closes with Slow Burner, which is kicked off by the unmistakable sound of a cowbell, before building up to distorted, sparse, yet delivered-with-purpose lyrics. The longest of the four songs, Slow Burner doesn’t have the same instantly catchy vibe — as the name may suggest. However, that’s far from a bad thing; the tune shows a diversity in the band’s sound, and their willingness to experiment; the outro is laced with the sounds of a synth, something which doesn’t seem to be much of a feature on the rest of Grand National. I can imagine it working well live, building up gradually and getting the crowd going while giving a slight variation from the higher energy levels in the band’s other tracks.

Grand National shows us that Courting have the potential to go far; packed with witty lyrics and boisterous instrumentals, the EP is a solid effort from the skilled group. While their overall sound is nothing drastically new or unheard of, all four songs on Grand National show a clever and fun interpretation of the modern post-punk sound: a perfect fit in the current surge of indie rock. Let them convert you. 

Grand National is out April 9th on Nice Swan Records. Don’t miss them on tour this year — it’s their first headline around the UK!