Arkayla’s ‘Back to Belle Vue’ – EP Review
Words: Ed Fry
★★★★★
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Formed in 2023, Arkayla have been smashing their way through the DIY scene, from huge local gigs in their hometown of Manchester to UK tours and main-stage festival appearances.
Following in the footsteps of the indie-sleaze revival we’ve had over the last couple of years, they should be right up your street if The Reytons, The K’s, or The Lathums are your thing. Arkayla have not just dropped the “The” in an attempt to make themselves unique; they’ve also crafted an EP to compete with the best in that list.
Photo: Luke Price
Their latest EP, ‘Back to Belle Vue’, spans four tracks with contrast: two double-acts of upbeat punky indie goodness and more mellow storytelling tunes.
Starting with a snarling guitar reminiscent of early Green Day, Definitely, Maybe, something else, but I’ll let you make up your own mind. The catchiness of the chorus and dancy-punk energy, however, really elevate ‘Run Kid’ from your stock modern Britpop.
‘Vivian’ has a laid-back, chilled-out surrealist-film feel to it – and rightly so. The song is based on a true story of drummer Dylan Murphy’s great-grandfather’s unfortunate encounter with snake venom the day before his daughter’s birth, and their odyssey to find him an antidote… I’ll say no more! Musically, the bass drives this one forward with the bubbly guitars and Cal Blakebrough’s Blossoms- or Peace-like vocal, telling the aforementioned story. When they hit the chorus, they transport us to the 1940s with an array of “la”s in the backing vocals adding to the whimsical, nostalgic feel of the track. Before rounding out the tale, the guitar and drums pick up, competing for energy through the guitar solo. They could end there, but thankfully Blakebrough delivers a tender, vibrato-filled ending, giving us some closure.
‘My Number’ reminds us again just how good a rhythm section Arkayla has, the tight drums and pumping bassline introducing the vocal. In this track, Blakebrough drifts from apathetic indie-rocker to earnest crooner. The unstoppable groove leaves Finley Rubens’ effortless guitar riffing to fill the gaps with chimey chords you could indulge in all day.
Back to the attitude of ‘Run Kid’, ‘Doba’ starts with a fuzzy bassline and searing guitar before cutting out to a tension-building drum and vocal verse. Interspersed with guitar, this whole track is about that tension and release. I’d expect it to come, but as they hit the first anthemic chorus, reminiscent of Kasabian, it’s slightly tepid. Where does it go from there? Well, the slight anti-climax only makes the end of the track better; they really open up on the chorus and middle-eight, both sure to get crowds going at their upcoming shows.
If you’re going to Reading & Leeds, or Victorious later this month, or fancy seeing the next generation of indie-rockers from the north-west, you need to check out Arkayla. From four songs, it seems they’re able to cover the delicate art of converting real life into a ballad, and the not-so-subtle art of creating a festival belter.