Better Together

Holy Youth Movement are an amped up and feel good five piece band from Bristol. Their new single Better Together is the sound of an end- of- night floor filler at a 1990 indie dance club, rolling bassline, chunky drums, chanted vocals, fringes melted to foreheads, lovebeads stuck to sweaty necks and drenched t- shirts. This isn't entirely a retro trip though- this is a sound not far from 2020s party animals Confidence Man and their chantalong soundtrack to last summer. Better Together was produced by Jagz Kooner, whose background in Sabres Of Paradise (with Andrew Weatherall) gives him plenty to bring to bear and it's mastered by Keith Tenniswood (who was in Two Lone Swordsmen with... Andrew Weatherall). 

There are two remixes, released last Friday, from the magic hands and ears of Sean Johnston's Hardway Bros whose background in A Love From Outer Space (with... Andrew Weatherall) means he knows a thing or two about songs to shake a cellar. The Hardway Bros Cosmic Intervention Remix is eight minutes of bubbling sci fi synths, chuggy rhythms and cosmic facing dance rock, the track and vocals slowed down slightly, giving it an free and easy drawl- 'I feel better/ Better than ever/ I feel stronger/ Stronger than ever', singer Tom claims, and while I don't necessarily feel the same way you can't help but admire the sentiment. 

The Hardway Bros Dub Intervention Mix is dubbier, obvs, and looser with a great drawn out guitar/ synth part that winds its way round and round in ever wiggier circles. It will no doubt sound great at volume in a club or a field. Both can be bought at Bandcamp.