WEATHER WARNING FROM THE AMAZONS: IT’S GOING TO BE ‘ONE HOT JULY’…
SINGLE REVIEW | THE AMAZONS – ONE HOT JULY by Jasmin Savage
Reading band, The Amazons, keep the temperature rising with steamy new single ‘One Hot July’. I’m not quite sure what’s hotter – the UK heatwave over these past few days, or this song. They absolutely could not have picked a better time to release it… unless they can control the weather?? Jokes aside, one thing I do know is that this new tune currently stands as the definitive song of the summer.
Hazy guitars, sexy lyrics, deep desire. This song is like crawling through a desert, parched, desperate for even just a drop of water. Take that concept, but make it a song about craving a person, and you’ve got yourself ‘One Hot July’.
The track begins quite mellow, with frontman Matt Thomson singing about a woman that he can’t quite get out of his ‘restless mind’, hoping that she will reciprocate his feelings. The psychedelic, wavy guitars build up a tension that shifts the song from a gentle longing, to a demanding need for this shared intimacy.
Marking one year since the release of their fourth studio album – 21st Century Fiction – back in May, The Amazons made it known that the story wasn’t over yet by announcing a deluxe version of the album, releasing on 28th August. This will include: ‘Blood On The Bone’ (released in May), ‘One Hot July’ (released today); and extra exclusives on the official release date; forming what will become 21st Century Fiction: Epilogue.
Over the course of this era, The Amazons have elevated their sound into something quite extraordinary. With vocalist, Ella McRobb, and drummer, George Le Page, officially becoming permanent members of the band ahead of these new tracks, the band have cemented that there’s a lot more to come from this new dynamic.
The complimentary harmonies from Ella and Matt bring a new depth to their music. However, what really stands out to me is their dual narrative of storytelling – often layering vocals like they are singing to each other, rather than just with one another.
‘One Hot July’ exemplifies this in a fascinating way. The main verses come from the male perspective, with Matt presenting a dedication to this supposed love interest. This transitions into the female perspective for the climactic portion of the song, with Ella repeating “Baby I’m burning for you” over and over. Each time she repeats this line, it becomes more desperate.
Alongside this, the guitars become more powerful and the drums burst through, really selling the spiralling visions of intimacy. The concluding lyrics and melody slow down, bringing it back to reality. They both, quite clearly, want the same thing, but nothing comes of it due to neither of them expanding on these fantasies.
Guitarist, Chris Alderton, is no stranger to a sensational solo, and these new tracks seem to be really leaning into this which I greatly enjoy. First single for the deluxe, ‘Blood On The Bone’, is executed with a rock focused sound – gritty electric guitars from Chris paired with a subterranean bassline from Elliot Briggs. Newest single, ‘One Hot July’ brings us more bluesy elements, but still has that distinct psychedelic influence, reminiscent of fuzzy 60s–70s tones from the likes of The Rolling Stones and Jimi Hendrix.
With two new singles out and more to come, The Amazons give us a glimpse of what’s in store for them as a now five-piece band. As they close the book of 21st Century Fiction: Epilogue, another story is just waiting to be written…
Of course, the ‘Epilogue’ would not be complete without an accompanying tour, to conclude 21st Century Fiction in style. After debuting ‘One Hot July’ live whilst supporting Snow Patrol on their headline tour, The Amazons will be taking it with them on their very own UK tour this October, visiting locations that weren’t included in the previous tour.
‘One Hot July’ is raunchy, steamy, climactic. But most importantly, it is OUT NOW! Listen here
See The Amazons on tour this October! Tickets available: here
Subscribe to the band’s mailing list for future updates and exclusive content: here
Join the official Discord server for community discussions, live Q&As, and more! The Amazons Discord
