The perfect timing for the return of a great protest band.
Back in 2005 Hard-Fi’s debut album Star’s Of CCTV was an absolute breath of fresh air. Whereas most of indie was dominated by jangly, funk-edged guitar pop here came a group that really caught the feelings of everyday people in everyday situations. It leaned back into those punk and ska traditions that had given rise to bands like The Clash, Madness and Elvis Costello. It was authentic, real. ‘Hard To Beat’ and ‘Living For The Weekend’ were monster hits. Two further albums followed, neither quite lived up to the promise of that debut. And then they went their separate ways.
It took the craziness of COVID to get them thinking about getting back together. What started as a few live dates became a few more. Then they risked going back into a studio together and came out with the 2024 EP Don’t Go Making Plans. They enjoyed it enough, and felt enough love still out there for the band, to do it all over again.
The new album starts with ‘They Ain’t Your Friends.’ It almost feels like business as usual, a track that could have sat on any of their previous albums. Whilst it is decent you might have wondered if Kid Kapichi, very much spiritual heirs of Hard-Fi, had somewhat stolen their thunder and made them redundant. That thought very much disappears on second track ‘Digo Nada’ (Spanish for “I Say Nothing”). It is a glorious slab of Cumbia influenced music featuring UK-based Colombian rapper Mike Kalle. It wouldn’t have felt out of place on Gorillaz recent epic, The Mountain. The Control Machete/Beuna Vista Social Club collaboration ‘Danzon’ also springs to mind. It is absolutely brilliant. Nothing else on the album sounds anything like it.
Third track ‘You Rule My Heart (When The Summer’s Gone)’ equally shows a band that has properly evolved, rather than aiming to just be a nostalgia tour. There are some real dance music inflections to this one and a proper tunefulness to the chorus, a long way from their initially abrasive punk-tinged vocal sound.
The album then divides along the two lines of classic Hard-Fi and dance influenced Hard-Fi. ‘Humpback Whale and’ ‘Looking For Fun,’ are classic Hard-Fi. ‘A Rose Electric’ could almost be Primal Scream at their absolute peak, there are full on Madchester vibes here. This is one of several tracks with additional vocals from Krysten Cummings, giving their sound a different edge to it. There are two tracks featured from their 2024 EP that have been given a reworking and an upgrade.
From the get go Hard-Fi were all about socially conscious music. Pointing out the wrongs of everything and the hardships people experienced. Given the incredibly awful state of the world right now a Hard-Fi comeback feels important, vital even. They take aim at a roll-call of modern world problems, from the mega-rich to AI.
This is a fine comeback album to spark joy into the hearts of indie guitar music lovers. Also a little sadness, what other delights might they have come up with had they not been so quiet for so long?
Essential Tracks: ‘Digo Nada,’ ‘You Rule My Heart (When The Summer’s Gone),’ ‘Looking For Fun,’ ‘A Rose Electric,’ ‘Now And Then’ and ‘Don’t Go Making Plans.’
- UK HEADLINE DATES
- December
- Thu 3rd London, O2 Academy Brixton
- Fri 4th O2 Institute Birmingham
- Sat 5th O2 Ritz Manchester
- 2026 FESTIVAL DATES
- July
- Sat 25th Kirkstall Abbey Leeds
- Thu 30th Y Not Festival, Derbyshire
- Fri 31st Kendal Calling, Cumbria
- August
- Fri 28th Victorious, Portsmouth
- Sat 29th Camper Calling, Warwickshire
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