EP REVIEW: Below The Static – The Bar Stool Preachers
Reworking some of their favourite tracks from their 2022 full-length Above The Static, Brighton punk outfit THE BAR STOOL PREACHERS are breathing new life into their art with the release of the six-song spin-off EP Below The Static.
The EP comes in time, as the band are ready to embark on a new adventure around the UK to show off their talents of reimagination. With fans waiting for their own preferred tracks to be brought to the stage in a whole new way, the group gave some sneak peeks to this release – kicking off with Call Me On The Way Home. A piano-led heartfelt ballad, accompanied with a selection of orchestral and strings and soulful vocal harmonies, it would be easy to mistake this for a pop artist’s emotional breakthrough, the latest ode to love and romance hitting the airwaves. It’s enough to bring a tear to the eye of the biggest, toughest, most tattooed metalhead in the room; and compared to its original high-energy guitar-led counterpart, the worlds are far apart but close enough to be recognisable. Reimagination doesn’t have to be a carbon copy with a handful of changes, and it doesn’t have to be a fully fledged sequel of its own merit. THE BAR STOOL PREACHERS have announced to the world: “Hey, we know how to slow it down too”.
Flatlined follows, and with an acoustic guitar in hand, there is nothing more than a soft singing voice that anyone will need for this track. With lyrics talking about losing someone near and dear, and how to navigate the world from that moment onwards, it’s the harmonious vocals that bring out the brunt of the emotional weight being carried. It’s becoming increasingly obvious that these carefully selected songs are all ones that don’t just hold an important place in the band’s collective heart, but can also translate for their fans and any listeners that come across them. It’s a way of bonding, showing solidarity, and when all that appears on the track is words and a range of strings and the message is still sending forward, that is talent and emotional maturity. Both of which the band have in buckets.
Don’t Die Today closes the EP in a celebratory manner. With cheers, chants and claps, this is the best way to say goodbye to the listeners and close a record full of the deepest and darkest of feelings. Being an anthem of hopefulness and happiness, staying brave and fighting on, this is the most satisfying final track that the group could have chosen. A jaunty tune and a round of voices lifting the spirits, this is what THE BAR STOOL PREACHERS are all about and even when things slow down and strip back, this will never change.
These coastal punks have definitely loved and lost, prayed through fears and praised their luck, and that is shown through their discography in every lyric. Below The Static just proves that even without the loud voices, heavy guitar riffs and upbeat percussion, they can still strike a chord in hearts, souls and minds around the punk rock world. A definite recommendation for punk lovers, deep feelers, and classical listeners.
Rating: 9/10
Below The Static is out now via Pure Noise Records.
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