Desperate Journalist – Unsympathetic Parts 1 & 2 Review

Their opening slot for Suede last year drew new crowds for Desperate Journalist. Not least a desperate journalist plugging away at whatever they could get their grubby hands on. A new album from the band is a welcome surprise, perhaps an inevitability given the growth of their profile and considerable, deserved boom of performances over the last year. Live at J.T. Soar is an exceptional entry point to their sound and Unsympathetic Parts 1 & 2, the first single from upcoming record No Hero, is a delight. What a difference a year makes. The band has gone from strength to strength, their talent for the stage having an obvious knock-on effect for their latest batch of sound. The journalist has bought a Keith Haring rug and developed a twitch in their thumb. No rest for the wicked, but this latest Desperate Journalist release is a neat break. 

Words of feeling the aged ways of the stage strike for the heart on this Desperate Journalist piece. The fury of vocalist Jo Bevan is contrasted by the smooth bass groove and the later guitar riffs. They bubble away, just waiting for the chance to implode and explore the striking lyrical discourse. But it never comes. Unsympathetic Parts 1 & 2 keep firm with its dedication to well-developed vocals and the rise comes not from an obvious altercation brought on by instrumental sections but by a dedication to slow burning fury. This latest Desperate Journalist piece does give Simon Drowner and Rob Hardy space to develop their post-punk style sound, the flattened and slick moves of their guitar and bass work heard in the latter parts of the track.  

Ultimately this is the sort of song you should expect from a band who derived their name from a deep cut by The Cure. Unsympathetic Parts 1 & 2 is an exceptionally cool piece of work. There is room for the moody growth of its fundamentals and within is a seltzer-driven surprise. Expect more of the good stuff from Desperate Journalist. The repetition of the title gives Bevan a stern, readied tone which lends itself to the sharp writing. Caged birds, bottled hopes and the lack of appreciation which comes for dipping yourself and your heartfelt, formed ideas in the wider world. What a cold world it is, and Desperate Journalist is all too aware of it. It forms the core of this latest single and the fury within is hard not to love. 

Climb aboard, then. Desperate Journalist once more prove they are hitting out on our behalf and with Unsympathetic Parts 1 & 2 is a familiar intensity from the band. Rising instrumentals which take up their spot towards the end of the track feel nicely developed away from the repetition Bevan deploys here. All of it is ultimately sharp and smart, a solid first go for the upcoming No Hero release. These are the rumblings of a band with more to say. Their slick style when opening for Suede last year was a neat spotlight and the likes of Unsympathetic Parts 1 & 2 are destined to sound incredible when live. These are lived-in songs, experienced by the band and imparted with wisdom and a flourishing rage onto listeners.