To say I was excited for Onsind’s ‘Anaesthesiology’ would be a huge understatement. I, like many others, hold the Durham duo in pretty high regard, so a new full-length was a pretty exciting prospect.
Known for their political, socially conscious and catchy songwriting Nathan and Dan don’t leave it long to have you, fist in the air, chanting their lyrics at the ceiling. Album opener, ‘Pokemon City Limits’, is sure to be a new live favourite with, leftist rallying cry, “never trust a Tory...” immediately standing out as this album’s ‘hit’, but it doesn’t stop there. Topics ranging from schoolyard bullying and anti-social behavior to British immigration policy and the idea of a prison state all make for surprisingly catchy songs.
‘BA77’, for example, follows the tragic story of Jimmy Mubenga who died whilst being deported from the United Kingdom. Despite the subject matter, Onsind have managed to create something that is not only something you want to listen to, but will galvanise people into thinking more about what’s going on around them.
More often than not, I managed to relate on more than just a basic, “oh this is a good song,” kind of level. Nathan and Dan really put everything they can into each song and it shows. With each listen I find myself getting more invested in the stories being told - including the overarching tale of Chelsea - and, whilst it certainly doesn’t feel like a concept album, it is a testament to how you can blend great storytelling, social commentary and clever songwriting to create a record that people really want to listen to.
All too often it seems politically and socially minded sentiments get lost in a dirge of poor songwriting, but that isn’t the case here. As they have in the past, Onsind again combine their views on the world with catchy songwriting and simple acoustic melodies - though there are some full band elements on here too - to create a record that is equally thought provoking and easy on the ear.
