First Glances – Hostile Tribes
Approach with caution, Hostile Tribes are not what you might expect. With a rich history in indie-rock/dream-pop bands such as Glass and I See Angels, singer-songwriter Paul Baird first struck it out alone under the more experimental banner of Just Everywhere, the first snippets of this new solo project pushing the envelope still further as he embraces electronics into his synthy world to manufacture a right old wonky shuffle of malfunctioning Casios and subtle glitch. It’s a unique, bold combination too, a melting pot of influence, retro-futurist and yet cutting edge, a natural evolution of a singular performer.
And, whoosh, there goes the rug from underneath you, because – out of the blue – striking debut single “Une Brave Femme” is full frontal synth-pop, Baird’s trademark vocal swoon digitally manipulated beyond recognition. Pretty chime-work carries the dreamy melody, Baird bodypainting the heavy-lidded scan into colourful smears over a darker undertow of New Wave keys. Where he’s been hiding all these hooks is anyone’s guess, but this is a giant leap of a first step, one that’s powerful enough to bring some of his previous fans with him, but also earn him a few more in the process. Pass the peace pipe, these Hostile Tribes are open to trade.
~The “Une Brave Femme” single is released October 25th 2019 via Mimic This. Full EP to follow next year.~