The Novus share debut EP ‘Thaleia Standing’
The Novus’ unapologetic authenticity pays off in Thaleia Standing, making this a debut EP that’s a unique, invigorating listen that you don’t want to miss
Photo: Max Auberon
The upcoming Birmingham born-and-bred band The Novus released their debut EP, Thaleia Standing, earlier this month.
Thaleia Standing is a refreshing new take on post-punk; providing an engaging, genre-bending experience from start to finish. The album’s unique and authentic nature reflects the band’s DIY attitude, especially considering they create everything themselves — from album art to stage setups.
The EP commences with I Serve Not, one of the singles, making a striking start. The song begins with a looped, percussive tick that is soon accompanied by a Western sounding guitar and a fuzzy bass. The instrumentation is complemented with faint soundscapes followed by slamming drums and Connor Hill’s brash British, perfect post-punk vocals.
The song’s vocals maintain the intense, dark tone, especially given their slightly distorted nature. With its captivating instrumentals, I Serve Not provides us with an extremely strong start to the EP.
Following on is Hate Is The Cancer. It is off to an instant, riveting start with dark guitar riffs speeding at a fast tempo, emitting strong Joy Division vibes.
As the song progresses there is a gradually increasing, fuller soundscape. The verses’ lyrics are poignant with an ambiguous relatability and an innate post-punk feel. Meanwhile, the lyrics of the chorus — “Hate is the cancer / Love is the cure” — create an effortlessly catchy anthem without breaking away from the song’s edgy tone.
Overdriven begins with a crashing, encore-esque sound. The song emits a cool sludginess with its slow rock riffs and impactful drums. Hill’s punky vocals project introspective lyrics accompanied by backing electric guitars. The second half sees faster guitars which, alongside thumping drum rolls, makes for an insanely mosh-able experience. Overdriven comes to an end with an electric guitar lick followed by a whirring, flange-y outro, the perfect finale that a song so lyrically and instrumentally strong deserves.
Thaleia Standing’s second single, Castaway, is an insanely creative and refreshing track. It has an acoustic thrumming start with Indian-sounding tablas accompanied by a chorusy electric guitar, before drums kick in. This all together creates a laidback summery feel. The chorus has notable lyricism, with lines such as “They teach you to be kind / They teach you to be nice / They don’t teach you the complex universe of the mind”.
However, the most notable part of Castaway is it’s alluding to a tropical island — created through a combination of the percussive intro, lyrics such as “The tidal wave of emotion, it sweeps you away, like sand with the ocean”, and of course the song’s title of Castaway.
The Novus’ fusion of post-punk and a tropical-themed summer anthem could easily have ended up as a cool concept at best, but the band reaches this feat by seamlessly fusing garage rock and an Indian-influenced sound to succeed.
Thaleia Standing comes to a finish with the ironically named Journey (With No End). The song has a distorted, whirring start that creates a disorientating effect whilst nodding towards shoegaze. Underwater guitars and drums are finished with 80s sounding twangs, whilst the vocals can be likened to a ghostly choir, all of which is reminiscent of The Cure.
This similarity is furthered through the song’s emotive lyrics, with metaphors such as: “the darkness of the night that swallows my life” and the rhetorical question of “Am I put together just to be torn apart?”. These particular lyrics convey a deep, encompassing sense of feeling lost in life.
Towards the end of the song, the instrumentals and extended vocals grow abrasive, before stopping, leaving a singular lone guitar which is quickly accompanied by a crescendo of crashing drums and shouting vocals. The song’s ending descends into a visceral collision of vocals, instruments, and whirring glitchy noises that disappear into an eerie ambience — instantly making us yearn for more.
The Novus’ unapologetic authenticity pays off in Thaleia Standing. This debut EP is a unique, invigorating listen that you don’t want to miss. Above all else, it highlights The Novus’ shining potential and leaves listeners with great anticipation for what is yet to come from the Brummies.
