One of Dublin’s finest and loudest alt rock prospects, Forty Foot, release their largest body of work to date, their debut EP ‘Body Breaking’. The release comes following the success of their two 2024 singles ‘Toothache’ and ‘Constellation’ which caught the attention of Golden Plec, Hot Press, First Music Contact, Rock N Load, Genuine Irish, The Beat.ie, IMRO and Ragged Cast, with radio play from Code Zero Radio and New Music Sonar. On the release of the new EP the band offer up two new tracks ‘Operator’ and ‘Tremble’.
‘Quintessential 90’s tinged alt-rock’
Hot Press
Opening track ‘Operator’ wastes no time in setting the intention for the course of the EP. Following a brief answering machine message advising us that ‘this number is not in service this is a recording’, the band come out swinging. There is a palpable energy to the track that awaits a sea of bodies to erupt to its neck snapping riff. The special alchemy of Forty Foot is that for every decibel of distortion there’s a hook of equal measure. Songs are built around razor-sharp melodies and lyrics that are obtuse enough to leave space for the listener to bring their own interpretation. Taken literally, they conjure up scenes that resemble your favourite David Lynch narrative.
Second in the running order is the first single to be taken from the EP ‘Toothache’. From the outset the track is laden with hooks; the stabs that sound like the police pounding on your door, to the drippy, watery chorus drenched lead line from Mark on lead guitar, to Sam’s melodic vocals that act as counterpoint lightning rod against the pounding drums and dimed distortion pedals. Keith’s fuzz bass underpins everything, acting as a circadian rhythm for the track, the constant pulse in the verses that opens up to drive the choruses. The chorus’s reprise of ‘body breaking’ lodges in your head, and lives there for days to come.
‘Intuitive writing that chases a feeling’
IMRO
Second single from the EP ‘Constellation’ bears all the hall marks of a classic Forty Foot track, crashing drums, gnarly fuzz bass and distortion drenched guitars but here they find space to dial down the sonic onslaught but dial-up the emotion. Front man Sam speaks to the writing process of the track, after Mark brought a melody to him it seemed to follow a natural path that led him to write about the close relationship he has with his dad. Eschewing his normal approach of burying meaning in metaphor and turn of phrase the lyrics for the track are much more direct, “I love you so much, I’m sorry I let you down, Can we move on, can we just figure it out”. The vulnerability coupled with the dreamier approach to the sonics of the track make this a standout track in the Forty Foot catalogue.
Final track on the EP ‘Tremble’ comes around all too quick. On this track the band take their foot of the accelerator which gives ‘Tremble’ the time and space to create tension before the inevitable and satisfying release. Every track on the EP feels like it could be a single and this is no exception. There’s a different sonic canvas for ‘Tremble’, the pacing makes it feel huge and the structure makes the most of the moments when the band choose to cut loose. It’s a fitting to end to a gargantuan EP.
‘Alt rock behemoth’
Rock N Load
The production on the EP is massive and powerful but doesn’t lack nuance. Each sound, each instrument, given its own space and plays a significant part in creating their sound. The tracks conjure a feeling and a sense that the band are right there, in the room with you, with each chord you can almost feel the air the speakers move. To capture their sound and bottle this feeling the band made the decision to record in their own rehearsal space. Turning to long-time collaborator Conor McLoughlin of Dublin rock sweethearts Sick Love to engineer and mix the EP, it was paramount to the band that it was imbued with the energy of their space.
Over the course of four tracks the band cover an immense amount of sonic territory and show us that the are far from a one trick pony. Although clearly influenced by a range of 90’s alt-rock artists, the band go far beyond other simple copycats, updating the sound and bringing a contemporary feel to the genre. Lyrics pendulum between obtuse and metaphorical to direct and emotional help give the EP a depth and range that a singular approach might lack. The songs are well crafted and the range of sounds across the EP is massive, guitars range from watery chorus to dreamy floaty ambience and thick, rich distortion. At the centre of it all is the melodic approach that means the songs stay with you for days and weeks. A flag in the moon moment for Forty Foot that is only the beginning.