Yorkshire based Rock ‘n’ Roll power trio; Stiletto Farm, have not wasted one moment of lockdown. Despite live shows being cancelled, the trio has gathered and gritted a whole new 4-track EP for us to ingest.
‘Power Fantasy’ is far cry from wishy-washy rock and is prolific in its heavy-hitting choice of topics. From criticising outdated traditions and ideals, standing up to abuse, outlining the evils of masculinity and even dabbling in existentialism.
With the latter topic being heavily influenced by Jean-Paul Sartre’s books, there is no limit to how in-depth this trio can go. Although it is a weighty amount to pack into a four-track EP Stiletto Farm have done it.
The realisation that it is just three people and not three bands is a little jarring at first. Their diverse vocal range puts you on a treadmill of sound, powered by flavours of punk and rock to keep the tempo changing.
Nevertheless, the speed/ power that Stiletto Farm dictate is law meaning it is down to you to keep up and bring your A game.
That being said, it is not difficult to divulge into the world of Stiletto Farm, but it can be an acquired taste with guttural tracks like ‘Screaming horses’ possibly needing a paracetamol alongside it.
Rather miraculously though, the trio can chameleon their sound to ‘State of Stagnation’ which is another example of the trio’s sound becoming much larger than three voices. You can’t help but feel like you’re in a crowd of bodies chanting along in bliss and jumping to every heavy thud of the drum.
Moving onto their guitar work, if you’re a fan of Rogue Traders, ‘Nausea’ will be up your street. This showcases the previously mentioned flavour of existentialism littered with grinding guitars, fuzzy riffs and addictive snippets of a guitar solo aka … a winning combination.
‘Power Fantasy’ brings the same unyielding energy that follows their sing-along, energetic Rock ‘n’ Roll blueprints that lift the whole EP. The fallen comrade and founding member, Jason White provided these sonic blueprints for cousins Stel, T-Bone and their childhood friend, Goose.
It takes influence from the Manic Street Preachers, Backyard Babies, Motörhead, and The Wildhearts. With the band’s individual influence on the sound too, it is safe to say that those blueprints are a blessing to our ears, and they can hopefully be heard live this year as they play as the main support act on Motörhead Day at The Waterloo in Blackpool on Sat 22rd October.
Check out ‘Power Fantasy’ here.