New Revolution – Set Me Free (2022)
A few simple facts first – New Revolution are a quartet from the outskirts of Manchester with frontman and singer Aidan James, lead guitarist Zak Hadfield, drummer Loz Riley and bassist Matthew Sondon. Also ‘Set Me Free’ is just their second single and, like many other songs and albums, it was written during the Covid-19 lockdown.
Now, for a few more complicated facts – while the easiest bag you could fit ‘Set Me Free’ in would be alternative/indie, that category is so broad that it could include almost anything that has a remote connection to rock music. On the other hand, New Revolution crosses quite a few rock genres here, so it would be really hard to pinpoint where they are musically. Moreover, while the song (coming in at over nine-and-a-half minutes) is not exactly one of the shorter ones around it passes on like a breeze.
Maybe it has something to do with its lyrics that touch on the sensitive subject of mental health, something a lot of us had to deal with during the pandemic being isolated most of the time. ‘Set Me Free’ tackles this issue using metaphors of being trapped and chained, feeling like those negative thoughts are always following you no matter what, and in the environment of the Covid-19 lockdown, it wasn’t so easy to escape them. Still, as mentioned, the song’s lyrics can be interpreted in many ways but are mainly about mental health which is still sometimes seen as a bit of a taboo subject – but we think it needs to be heard.
For more from New Revolution check out their Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
