You can’t argue with Courting’s lust for life. Beginning with the release of ‘Guitar Music’ in 2022, the Liverpudlian band have adopted the mantra of more is more. Their debut threw everything it had at the wall to see what would stick, while 2024’s ‘New Last Name’ saw them play dress-up as The 1975. Beneath its eye roll-inducing title ‘Lust for Life, Or: ‘How To Thread The Needle And Come Out The Other Side To Tell The Story’ is another sense-assaulting splurge of ideas.
Here it’s like Courting are constantly trying to punch you in the face, with some of their jabs landing more cleanly than others. The sax-laden jangle-pop of Eleven Sent and the fast-and-furious riff-off After You are genuine heavyweights, but the grit-your-teeth-and-bear-it title track and vanilla indie closer Likely Place to Be won’t be winning a world title any time soon.
Rollback Intro’s glorious strings slowly unfurl like leaves on a branch, before Stealth Rollback’s not-so-subtle synths stab at your eardrums until it rolls back the years by embracing a ‘90s deep house vibe. It’s mostly palatable until vocalist Sean Murphy-O’Neill decides he’s fronting a glitchcore band.
Pause At You blends together Sports Team’s rumbling grooves with Weekend In The City-era Bloc Party for Reading & Leeds’ next festival anthem and Namcy sends you hurtling back to 2006, spliced somewhere between jangle-pop, landfill indie, and American indie-rock. Weirdly, the tracks that shouldn’t work are the ones that do.
‘Lust For Life…’ is like a rollercoaster — it’ll throw you about until you bring your breakfast up. But do you remember every twist and turn? Like ‘Guitar Music’ and ‘New Last Name’ before it, this will have you questioning whether Courting are mad geniuses or just four friends finally cracking up.
Courting Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Mon March 31 2025 - NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE Grove
Tue April 01 2025 - GLASGOW SWG3 Warehouse
Thu April 03 2025 - NOTTINGHAM Bodega Social Club
Fri April 04 2025 - MANCHESTER Gorilla
Sat April 05 2025 - SHEFFIELD Yellow Arch Studios
Mon April 07 2025 - BRISTOL Thekla
Tue April 08 2025 - BIRMINGHAM Mama Roux's
Wed April 09 2025 - LONDON Oslo
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