Nai Harvest – ‘Hairball’

By Glen Bushell

If you have been following the UK music scene for an extended period of time, you will undoubtedly be familiar with Nai Harvest. They have arguably become one of our best exports, and garnered huge acclaim with their debut album ‘Whatever’ in 2013, and would ultimately result in them signing too highly credible label Topshelf Records.

Given the popularity of ‘Whatever’ and it’s scrappy emo that drew heavily from the likes of Cap n Jazz – and almost any Kinsella family related band – it would have been easy for the Sheffield duo to continue with that style. They could have kept doing that and people would no doubt have lapped it up, however the Nai Harvest from then is not the same Nai Harvest that’s here now, and on their second album ‘Hairball’, they have truly upped their game.

Sound wise, it builds on last years ‘Hold Open My Head’ EP, which saw them using a more chord-based approach and making more noise than you could imagine a two-piece band ever making. But even a year on, this is not ‘Hold Open My Head’ part two either; it just makes that EP feel like the bridge that they had to cross to create ‘Hairball’.

Within seconds of ‘Spin’ kicking the album off they sound bigger than they ever have done, with Ben Thompson’s vocals having an almost Liam Gallagher-esque tone too them as he drags the end of each line out. The warm distortion used on the drums, vocals, and guitars makes the bratty garage-punk of ‘Sick On My Heart’ seem raw yet unpolished. It compliments the brightness of ‘All The Time’, which is saccharine tale of wanting to be free, and the longing of wanting to constantly be on tour.

Of course there is a huge influence of 90’s alternative rock ever present on ‘Hairball’, which the band make no secret of. The glorious pop-rock of ‘Melanie’ comes on like early Teenage Fanclub, and the rerecording of ‘Buttercups’ from last years split with Playlounge, shares similar traits to underrated 90’s heroes Revolver with added reverb.

Considering Nai Harvest wrote the lion’s share of the album while they were on tour, it is very concise, and each song structure is well thought out. It is a world away from the disjointed nature of ‘Whatever’, and they have really come into their own. While ‘Hairball’ fuzzes in all the right places, they also know when to rein it in as well, particularly with the creamy guitar sound on ‘Ocean Of Madness’. The bleak narrative of the perils of drug use dragging friends down really does hit hard, thanks to the delivery of Thompson’s vocal sounding more honest then he ever has done.

‘Hairball’ is not a dark album however, and it is near impossible not to have a smile on your face while singing along to “Gimmie gimme your sugar joy” from ‘Gimme Gimme’ which lights the album up again. The only disappointing thing about ‘Hairball’ is when you reach the end of the title track that closes the album, it means that it’s over. It really is THAT good that you get disappointed it’s the last song. How many albums can say they have that impact, probably not many.

Nai Harvest had to make this album, and it had to sound this way. If they hadn’t then there was always that danger they could have been seen as just another “emo revival” band, but thanks to this album that won’t happen. Nai Harvest have clearly found the perfect sound for them, and in no uncertain terms, ‘Hairball’ is an instant brit-rock classic.

GLEN BUSHELL

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