“CHARISMA, TOE TAPPING HOOKS AND SENSE OF SELF” | GLASGOW’S THE PAINTING RELEASE DEBUT SINGLE

SINGLE REVIEW | THE PAINTING – IMPRINT by Michaela Roper

The nostalgic essence of bright and jangly guitar licks and fast-paced vocal work truly elevates The Painting’s debut single, ‘Imprint’ – a sun-soaked soundscape that articulates tales of watching a lover slip right through the cracks in a relationship’s foundations.

The Scottish rockers are marking the beginning of an electrifying new chapter under the moniker of The Painting, and have adopted a fresh attitude that has pulled the six-piece outfit out of the gloomy shadows of alt-rock they’d formerly produced as Arcade State.

‘Imprint’ opens up an energetic instrumental window to the band’s soul, which oozes with charisma, toe-tapping hooks, and a new sense of self. Over on vocals, frontman Ciaran Murray doesn’t shy away from offering raw, sentimental lyrical work that ebbs and flows across the waves of glimmering guitar efforts that wouldn’t sound out of place on a festival stage. A well-polished effort on the drums courtesy of brother Jordan Murray drives the rhythm even further, using each beat to pull the track together into a scrapbook of lived experiences and youthful memories. It seems as if The Painting have discovered a lease of life that celebrates the innocence of modern existence, and have channelled this into an anthemic soundtrack that reaches a euphoric, well-produced crescendo.

The track pokes fun at the traditional arbiters of indie rock whilst remaining true to itself; fans of The Xcerts and The 1975 are bound to resonate with their performative style and brazen sonic injections. The band’s instrumental maturity is stylishly evidenced through each high-octane drum beat and emotionally-charged vocal work, and every element of the single feels incredibly well organised. The Painting are a band that know exactly how to please, and they aren’t afraid to show it off.

‘Imprint’ has done its job as an intriguing teaser for their upcoming album Before The Rain which is due in October; a highly anticipated release for eager ears that yearn for gritty storytelling encased in a carefree-sounding binding.