There are albums that arrive with a little hype behind them, records that promise plenty but ultimately deliver a handful of decent singles and a whole lot of filler.
Then some albums make you wonder what the hell has been going on in alternative music for the last ten years, and why more bands haven’t been doing this. unpeople’s debut full-length, “we are unpeople”, is firmly in the latter category. It’s a gloriously unhinged, ridiculously catchy, brutally heavy and wonderfully eccentric record that has absolutely no intention of playing by the rules.
If we’re talking about the best alternative albums of the last decade, this deserves to be right in that conversation. That’s a bold claim for a debut, but from the opening moments to the final harmonies, unpeople demonstrate a songwriting ability that many established bands spend entire careers chasing. They understand that a massive chorus means considerably more when you’ve had your head kicked in by a filthy riff first, and that melody doesn’t have to come at the expense of aggression. Most importantly, they understand how to write songs that stick.
Formed in 2023, the four-piece features Jake Crawford and Luke Caley, whose previous work with the criminally underappreciated Press To MECO helped lay the foundations for this new venture. Joined by bassist Em Lodge and drummer Richard Rayner, they’ve developed a sound that takes the melodic ingenuity of British alternative rock, the unpredictable twists of System Of A Down and the muscular, angular riffing associated with Reuben, then throws the lot into a musical blender with the lid missing.
The band’s rapid ascent has been impossible to ignore, from opening for Metallica in Vienna to taking on Download’s main stage and appearing at Reading & Leeds. With “we are unpeople”, that momentum finally has a full-length statement to match it. And what a statement it is.
One of the most impressive things about “we are unpeople” is how naturally the band moves between musical extremes. This isn’t a record that simply alternates between heavy songs and softer ones; the real magic happens when those opposing qualities collide within the same track. A deceptively sweet vocal melody can suddenly find itself swallowed by a monstrous guitar riff, while a seemingly straightforward rock song can veer into frantic, almost unhinged territory without losing its sense of direction.
The production gives each element room to breathe, allowing the guitars to snarl, the bass to punch through and the drums to drive everything forward without flattening the band’s more intricate arrangements. The heaviness has genuine weight, but the vocal harmonies remain a defining feature rather than a decorative afterthought.
That balance is what separates a collection of catchy alternative-rock songs from something genuinely special. unpeople don’t just write choruses; they construct entire songs around the journey towards them. The tension, the release, the sudden shifts in intensity and those perfectly timed returns to melody all serve a purpose.
And the songwriting is exceptional. There’s an almost cheeky confidence to the way these songs unfold, as if the band know they’ve got something irresistible on their hands and can’t resist pushing it a little further. Yet the experimentation never feels like showing off. Everything serves the song.
Opening with ‘clouds’ and ‘friends’ is a statement of intent. Both tracks demonstrate the band’s gift for making melody and mayhem work together, with vocal interplay that gives the music a character far beyond straightforward guitar-driven rock.
“clouds” has an inviting melodic quality, its vocal exchanges establishing an almost playful atmosphere before the heavier instrumentation starts throwing its weight around. The contrast is key: the tune can be warm and immediately accessible, then suddenly become ferocious as Crawford pushes his voice into a raw, abrasive register. The shift back towards those layered harmonies makes the payoff all the more satisfying.
It takes real confidence to build a song around such contrasting vocal styles without making it sound disjointed. unpeople make it sound effortless.
‘friends’ continues the assault with a more volatile energy. Crawford’s delivery has an unpredictable edge, while the guitars and drums give the song a sense of forward momentum that refuses to let up. The vocal arrangements are particularly effective here; rather than simply doubling the lead, the additional voices add colour and movement, making the chorus feel expansive without sacrificing the song’s bite.
These are enormous hooks, but they’re not manufactured pop-rock slogans pasted over generic riffs. They’re the result of musicians who understand how melody, rhythm and vocal phrasing can lock together to create something genuinely memorable.
If there’s one track that demonstrates just how naturally unpeople combine muscular alternative rock with irresistible songwriting, it’s ‘the garden’.
That bass-led swagger gives the song a physical presence from the outset. Lodge’s low end is an essential part of the arrangement, adding a thick, rolling foundation that allows the guitars to stretch out above it. When the riff properly opens up, the whole thing takes on a wonderfully oversized quality. Hell, it’s a track the first time I heard evoked an internal response & made me cry. It’s that deep, thoughtful & impactful.
The chorus is the sort of thing that practically demands a room full of people shouting it back at the band. Those harmonies bring an almost celebratory lift to the track, yet the underlying instrumentation retains enough grit to stop it becoming overly polished or saccharine.
What’s particularly impressive is the way the band uses repetition. The hooks are allowed to sink in, but the instrumental details keep the song moving. It’s a deceptively clever approach: immediately accessible on the first listen, with enough musical personality to reward repeated plays.
The album’s more unpredictable side becomes increasingly apparent as it progresses. “swallow” pushes into a more confrontational vocal delivery, using its rhythmic phrasing and swagger to break away from the more conventional verse-and-chorus approach. There’s a wiry tension running through it, a sense that the song might veer off the road at any moment, only for the band to bring it back under control.
Then comes ‘bottle it’, which embraces the collision between hardcore aggression and alternative-rock catchiness. The guitars feel jagged and unsettled, while Rayner’s drumming supplies the muscular momentum needed to keep everything moving. Crawford switches between melody and outright vocal fury, and the backing vocals provide an almost mischievous counterpoint to the heavier passages.
This is where the album’s dynamic range really shines. The band understands that heaviness isn’t simply a matter of turning the guitars up or throwing a scream into the mix. It’s about contrast, timing and the way a particular musical moment lands after everything that precedes it.
When the aggression arrives, it feels earned. When the melody returns, it feels enormous.
Every album this energetic needs a moment to draw breath, and ‘blueprints’ provides exactly that without abandoning the band’s larger-than-life ambition.
Built around a more spacious arrangement, the track allows the vocal harmonies to take centre stage. Its slower build gives the melody room to develop, gradually drawing the listener into a chorus that feels genuinely uplifting. The four-part vocal approach is particularly effective, with the different voices complementing one another rather than competing for attention.
Luke Caley’s contribution to the song’s original chorus idea is an excellent example of the band’s collaborative instincts. In the accompanying press material, Crawford explains how much he loved Caley’s original melody and lyrics, choosing to preserve their essential character while developing the verses around them.
The result is a reminder that unpeople’s songwriting talent isn’t confined to noise, speed and aggression. They can deliver a powerful emotional moment without resorting to unnecessary melodrama.
“blueprints” also reinforces the album’s central idea: music can be a source of solidarity, particularly when life and relationships become complicated. It’s a beautifully judged change of pace, and the melodic restraint makes the heavier tracks around it feel even more explosive.
“waste” brings the grit straight back, combining an abrasive edge with the sort of direct, memorable songwriting that makes unpeople so difficult to resist. It has a sense of urgency that suits the band’s more aggressive instincts, with the instrumentation maintaining a tight grip on the song even when the vocals become more unrestrained.
“look up” pushes further into the band’s energetic side, its driving percussion giving it a live-wire quality. It helps maintain the album’s momentum, ensuring that the record doesn’t simply peak during its opening run and coast towards the finish.
And then there’s “kangareuben”, a title that tells you plenty about the band’s sense of humour and their affection for the British alternative-rock tradition. Beneath the playful name is a hefty, riff-driven track that leans into the more abrasive, grunge-inflected side of their sound.
The guitars are big, the drums hit hard, and the whole performance has an exhilarating sense of abandon. It’s a fitting showcase for a band that clearly enjoys getting loud, but possesses the musicianship to make that loudness count.
The track also highlights an important distinction: unpeople aren’t merely reviving the sounds of alternative rock’s past. They’re taking familiar ingredients and arranging them with enough personality, rhythmic variation and melodic invention to make them feel alive again.
‘smother’ is another absolute heavyweight. Its rugged bassline, driving guitar work and infectious vocal refrain combine to create one of those tracks that feels tailor-made for the chaos of a packed venue. There’s an immediacy to the songwriting that makes it hit hard on first contact, but the arrangement has enough substance to prevent it from becoming disposable.
The band has a particularly effective understanding of how to make a refrain feel communal. The melody invites participation, the instrumentation supplies the muscle, and the whole thing builds a sense of momentum that makes you want to hear it again before it’s even finished.
‘haunted’, meanwhile, brings a more playful, high-energy flavour to the record. Its buoyant hooks and lively vocal arrangements are balanced by a restless intensity, demonstrating how unpeople can make music that feels joyful without becoming lightweight. The band’s willingness to embrace the ridiculous, the dramatic and the downright eccentric is one of their greatest strengths.
Bringing the album to a close, ‘as you were’ draws together many of the qualities that make “we are unpeople” such a compelling listen. The drums establish a weighty, almost tribal pulse before the guitars and layered vocals expand the arrangement into something altogether more uplifting.
There’s a real sense of togetherness in the way the vocals build towards the finish. The song doesn’t pretend that everything is fine or that life’s difficulties can be neatly resolved by a catchy chorus. Instead, its communal feel suggests that perseverance and human connection matter even when things are difficult.
It’s a fitting ending for an album whose title represents more than a band name. The closing moments leave the listener with a sense of defiance, solidarity and possibility, making the urge to start the record again almost irresistible.
What makes the performances so effective is the sense of collective purpose. Nobody sounds as though they’re simply trying to dominate the mix. The guitars, bass, drums and multiple vocal parts operate as pieces of a larger songwriting machine, with each musician contributing something essential to the final result.
That chemistry is particularly important given how much is happening in these arrangements. The band have clearly put serious thought into how the parts interact, and the result feels meticulously assembled without losing its spontaneity.
The success of We Are unpeople isn’t simply down to good timing or a run of high-profile support slots. The songs justify the attention. The band have developed a sound that feels familiar enough to be immediately inviting, yet individual enough to stand apart from the crowded modern-rock landscape. Their influences are audible, but the songwriting has its own identity, and that is what ultimately matters.
The album also benefits from a genuine sense of purpose. The idea behind the name unpeople, as the band have explained in interviews, is about reclaiming a term associated with exclusion and turning it into something that celebrates human connection.
That sentiment is reflected in the communal choruses, the vocal interplay and the feeling that these songs are designed to bring people together rather than simply entertain them.
Is we are unpeople the best alternative album of the last decade? That’s a huge claim in a genre with so many outstanding releases, but there’s a very convincing case to be made. It’s certainly one of the most exciting examples of what modern British alternative rock can achieve when a band combines genuinely heavy instrumentation with exceptional melodic instincts.
There is no shortage of bands capable of writing a big chorus, and there are plenty who can turn up the distortion and deliver a punishing riff. Far fewer can make both elements feel equally essential, then throw in intricate vocal harmonies, unexpected rhythmic turns and a sense of humour without the whole thing collapsing under its own ambition.
unpeople can.
“we are unpeople” is an album built on contrasts: beautiful yet abrasive, playful yet emotionally honest, accessible yet gloriously unpredictable. It has the riffs, the hooks, the performances and, most importantly, the songs. If this is the foundation on which the band intends to build their future, then the coming years could be something very special indeed.
“we are unpeople” is the best Brit rock, hell, alternative album of the decade. Some bands take a whole lifetime to create something as anthemic, focused & beautifully crafted as Unpeople have been able to achieve on a bloody debut. This band is gonna change up modern music. You watch this space.
Review: Joseph Mitchell
“we are unpeople” is released on 9 October 2026 via SharpTone Records.
PRE-ORDER “WE ARE UNPEOPLE” DEBUT ALBUM
ALBUM OUT OCTOBER 9 ON SHARPTONE RECORDS — PRE-ORDER
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