Single Review: The Madding Crowd – You Give Us Hope

Manchester indie punks The Madding Crowd were building up a head of steam towards the end of 2016, they released their impressive and oddly titled EP, The 78th Bridge On The Rochdale Canal, and it’s subsequent short film, The 78th: Near The Dirt Fields Where The Boys Started Fires. They were playing regular live shows and building up a reputation as a unpredictable and essential live act, then misfortune befell them as they lost their drummer and went into an enforced hiatus, with only a few low key acoustic shows to keep their hand in, to allow them to regroup, but now they are back with a new single, the appropriately titled You Give Us Hope.

You Give Us Hope was a feature of The Madding Crowd‘s live shows and is the last recording with their former stickman, it’s release was put on hold until the band could rise again and it’s been worth the wait, as this is the perfect single to mark the band’s return. The skittering western drumbeat and off kilter vocals are underpinned by an infectious cantering bass line and crashing guitar chords, You Give Us Hope continually ebbs and flows in pace and volume as it builds towards a frantic climax for a single that is the perfect snapshot of everything that was, and thankfully is once more, great about The Madding Crowd.

The Madding Crowd are now back with a new drummer in the shape of another notable Manchester musician and the producer of You Give Us Hope, Sam Smith, who learnt to play drums so he could join the familial trio of Corry’s, Benjamin, Dominic and Claud. The band will be releasing a forthcoming compilation of all of their previous recordings, plus a few new tracks, that will mark the end of the first chapter of The Madding Crowd and start a new one. The band will be sealing their return with the release of You Give Us Hope on the 21st September and an appearance at Manchester’s Night & Day Cafe on the 22nd September, it’s good to have them back.

The Madding Crowd‘s Bandcamp is here and you can find them on Spotify here

The Madding Crowd‘s Facebook page is here