Single Review: The Parish Church Fire – Hunger

With his live offering Live In Manchester not long out, this single outing for Sam Smith‘s reformed The Parish Church Fire might initially be considered a bit of an odd change of gear and style. However, that would be a superficial reaction and would do the musical heart and brain behind this single release a huge disservice. The common ground between the effectively unplugged Live In Manchester album and this full band, full-on Hunger/Adam Raised A Cain single is evident in the energy and passion that bursts out of both recordings. Smith and co are very much of their environment: there is a Northwest feel to this release. Maybe it’s partly in the vocal phrasing, maybe it derives from the sound.

That sound, on Hunger at least, at the very least tips its hat to a tripped-out and drug-hazed former Manchester with its pulsating and hypnotic verse riff, underscored with deeply chorused growls of bass and its meandering, reverbed guitar motif and driving reverbed drums. But make no mistake, this is alt-rock music and full of fire and passion. Adam Raised A Cain is more straightforward and dark blues rock outing with an underlying feeling of anger or menace missing from the Bruce Springsteen original. It’s sinuous and muscular, full of a kind of angry power that evokes a vision of downbeat, smoky bars on dark side streets.

The Parish Church Fire exist as a band properly for the first time and the ensemble approach to this recording in evident in its execution. This sounds like a band reliant on chemistry and intuition, and while it is Sam Smith‘s vision, this feels like a band effort, organic and cohesive. If Live In Manchester plumbs Smith‘s depths as an artist, this single presents a strong and focused manifesto to build on. Recommended. Watch out for Sam at Strummercamp later this month and for other gigs to be announced.

The German Shepherd Records Bandcamp is here and their website is here