Bannered Mare – He’s Only Sleeping (2025)
After a plethora of singles, Bannered Mare are finally here with their debut album, He’s Only Sleeping. Hailing from West Ireland, this quintet formed in 2018 from the ashes of Race the Flux, have been biding their time and now are ready to unleash what can only be described as a powerful piece of solid garage rock.
The opening track, ‘Synapses’, is the perfect way to kick off a record; the opening riff has a thick, rich sound that sets the tone for the entire album. Frontman Joe Padfield establishes himself from the outset as the driving force behind the band. His vocals are formidable, his songwriting is compelling, and when backed by such a great band, it’s simply a recipe for a great record.
As I listened to He’s Only Sleeping my adoration for Bannered Mare only grew. Their brand is kept front and centre for the entire album, yet offering something unique with each track. ‘Liminal Space’ was the next track that really stuck out for me. The noodling guitar combined with the message that you can never lose hope that things can change, I loved the line: “sketch out a plan, on a clean slate, it’s never too late, lick your wounds, the familiar taste”.
With no let-up, the energetic ‘Tetra’ is a track for any fans of Broken Social Scene, with its punk feel, whilst not losing their identity. Padfield’s words about the track really hit home how personal the music is for him. When asked about ‘Tetra’, he explained, “It’s a love letter to that addiction. When I sing “I’m yours, play God if you want”, it’s really about being at the whim of my own compulsions.”
With yet another change of pace and change of style, they hit with ‘Hip Shot’, which for me had a distinct midwestern emo sound to it, which I absolutely loved. Being able to slow down whilst not losing any of the momentum built so far is a real skill, and Bannered Mane does this perfectly. I would actually call ‘Hip Shot’ out as one of my favourite songs on the record. It has everything from perfectly complementary riffs, with again very well-crafted and personal lyrics from Joe Padfield.
Continuing the theme of not staying still, the next track, ‘Patrick’, allows guitarists Paul Higgins and Derek Ellard to showcase themselves as the talented individuals they are, with a distinctive math-rock track. It is a style which continues for the remaining tracks of the record. This heavier approach over the next few songs helps to show the importance of having a strong structure from the bass and drums, and with Alan Kilcullen on drums and Kyle Dee on bass, Bannered Mane definitely has that.
Now for the closing track, ‘Primordial’. It ended how it started, with just an amazing piece of music. They took this as an opportunity where each member knows their role and delivers perfectly to leave you wanting more.
I feel so privileged to have got to listen to this great record before its release, and it is one that I’ll be delving back into a lot over the coming weeks. Once it drops on 3rd October, I implore you all to get on it and give it the love it deserves.
Find out more about Bannered Mare on their official website, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Bandcamp and Spotify.
This artist was sent to us by Old Crows Promotions
