Having earned near-universal admiration, proving that the well London post-punkers drank from was not as dry as many thought, enigmatic four-piece Folly Group have returned with single ‘Paying The Price’. Skyrocketing off the back of their debut EP Awake And Hungry onto every playlist and lineup around, the band managed to capture the focused attention of British punk everywhere. Nonetheless, though, their first record was a snapshot of a particular time; one where the group, trapped in lockdown, recalled their enrapturing live shows. Now, wanting to explore further, the band have signed to avant-garde Ninja Tune imprint Technicolour to bring their sophomore EP and accompanying singles to life.
On the latest taste of their upcoming release, Folly Group are bright, bold, and charmingly suave. From the first plink of the anchoring electric keyboard, ‘Paying The Price’ calls forth a refreshing swagger. Markedly more confident than any previous release from the band, the track portrays a sleekness and sleaze as the myriad synths, basslines, and guitars slither around each other. As the booming kicks and cutting claps propel the single along, sequenced synths rise in intensity, matched only by guitarist Louis Milburn’s dynamic performance. It’s clearly the same Folly Group we’ve come to love, but just one charged with conviction.
What truly lifts the track, though, is its subject matter, expressed by drummer and singer Sean Harper. Singing about the inexplicable charm of London, a city that demands never-ending financial and mental self-sacrifice, Harper repeats “Paying the price, shame it feels so nice”. Almost as if describing the totality of modern living, ‘Paying The Price’ becomes an all too relatable anthem fit for the hedonistic indie dancefloor. Folly Group’s growing confidence is not arrogance it seems, but instead, a well-deserved self-belief. How they continue to grow on the rest of their second EP, Human and Kind, will be rewarding to see.
Words: Varun Govil // Photo: Alex Waespi
‘Paying The Price’ is out now via Technicolour, taken from the upcoming EP ‘Human and Kind’, out March 31st. Pre-order the EP via Bandcamp now.