Only the Poets – And I’d Do It Again

Only the Poets stand out bright and hopeful from many on the scene today. They’ve been grafting and grinding for the last seven years, and the title of their long-awaited debut album is an ode to this time, years both painful and pivotal – And I’d Do It Again. Only the Poets will perform it to a sold-out crowd at their historic O2 Academy Brixton show, at which they will celebrate their grassroots heritage by charging only £1 entry.

After an instrumental, Monumental opens. By having the gritty guitar alone at the start, it feels like we’re with them in their garage. Marcus Yates, the drummer, builds and builds, while Tommy Longhurst commands with a voice both gravelly and plucky. Emotionally Hungover, already a single, keeps the energy up. One listen will have your hips moving, whether you like it or not; two listens will have you singing along, even if you don’t know the words yet. Most tracks on the record follow the same structure as these first two: punchy alt-pop. There are a couple of respites, though, dotted along the catalogue, that slow you down while still being some of the best on the project. Madeline is anecdotal and raw; Thinking Bout Your Ex is sultry and snappy; Guess She’s Cool is regretful and melodic.

And I’d Do It Again was made to be played live. It courses through each track like a river; the pumping kick-drum, the soaring vocals, and the earworm hooks paint images of hands in the air and sweaty bodies in a deafening room. Monumental, Emotionally Hungover, and You Hate That I’m In Love are bulging with alt-pop production, and songs like Freeze and Bad resemble the pop-punk of the late aughts. While it’s clear that it will invite musical breaks and guitar solos when onstage, it would have been nice to hear that more now. For a band that has toured consistently, and who so love the craft, it’s surprising that there’s a lack of this despite many of the songs just crossing the three-minute mark and thus allowing space.

Seven years on, they have drawn blood to execute this record, and a worthy project it is. Only the Poets have grown organically, amassing fans through dedicated touring. And I’d Do It Again will be what they have waited for. A solid debut album, these boys will be playing to happy crowds for years to come.