MERSEYSIDE’S SAM MILNE AND THE VIRANTS SHARE VULNERABLE NEW EP

EP REVIEW | SAM MILNE AND THE VIRANTS – EARLY DAYS by Ella Dowell

Fresh off the back of a sold-out BBC Introducing show at the Cavern Club in Liverpool, Merseyside pop-rockers Sam Milne and the Virants today (14th November) share their debut EP ‘Early Days’, and it’s safe to say that momentum is certainly building for the 4-piece.

After a focused listening session with a cuppa in hand, I can confidently say that this is a good EP. Allow me to elaborate…

The collection of songs all proved to be very vulnerable works, with a good variety of lyrical focus under their jangly melodies and sweetheart tones. It’s clear that these tracks are very personal to their writer. Under a charming surface, a strong sense of fire can be felt in tracks like ‘Out My Head’ and ‘Not Enough’– I thoroughly enjoyed the almost theatrical element of how this band articulates conflict, both inner and external.

Speaking of conflict, the EP’s highlight for me was their underdog ballad, the ode to ‘the man’ that is their track ‘Not Enough’. The number dives into class divides and cost-of-living struggles from a very current and frustrated perspective of UK politics. It gives a voice to universal turmoil in the face of societal greed and violence; it’s a well-crafted (and I assume well-needed) vent for the band that is ignited by passion and humanity. Gold stars! The track ends with a simple “the other side”, effectively outlining those in power as ‘other’, and marking their disdain for elite-led politics.

It’s always refreshing to hear modern tracks with a punch like this! The track ‘Pocket Rocket’ also packs a punch, a cautionary tale about losing yourself to success, told from a very observational standpoint. Lyrics like: “Careful with all those people though, they’ll all move on when the money’s slow,” serve as grounding wisdom for the airborne ‘Pocket Rocket’, the writer’s “little reason why.”

And the band can do both! Tracks ‘Annie’ and ‘Carolyn’ are a good bit of charming cheese with a light and fluffy approach. ‘Annie’ is a darling song, whereas ‘Carolyn’ is deeper and more vulnerable, but keeps that ‘90s cheese nice and close.

Overall, ‘Early Days’ by Sam Milne and the Virants has a well-written track list centred around wisdom, romance and frustration. Their light-hearted sound gives a soft underbelly to even their fieriest songs, all contributing to a deep, transparent and honest articulation of the writer’s points of view. Lovely stuff, guys!

The band will be playing a headline show on the 29th of November in Liverpool, follow their socials @sam_milne for more details.