 | | Working For A Nuclear Free City |
Back in June, The Longcut finally issued their statement of intent and it was every bit as fantastic as we’d wanted it to be. Now, the trio’s musical evil twins, WFANFC, have cast out their eponymous debut onto an unsuspecting world, and it’s a belter. They may not seem like the most obvious bedfellows, but it’s the way that both bands have distilled Manchester’s history into an exciting future brew that makes them important. Yet, while The Longcut have taken a route that rips dance through rock, WFANFC’s path is a more meandering and multifaceted one. There’s plenty of the city’s past in there; echoes of the Stone Roses, whispers of 808 State, shadows of long nights in the Hacienda, of desolate Joy Division landscapes and of New Fast Automatic Daffodils intensities, but none of it ever overwhelms and WFANFC’s sound is as fresh as morning rain on Piccadilly Gardens. Brain-mashingly wonderful loops swirl round sweeping guitars, monotone vocals underpin intensely insistent beats, darkness collides with light and the results are marvellous. Amongst the heap of varied excellence, it’s the closing trio of Fallout, Forever and The Tree that truly proclaim WFANFC’s talents. Constantly shifting musical sands during their rolling course, they swamp layers of beauty, beats, spills and thrills that waft you skyward, pull you to the dancefloor, blow your mind and soothe your soul. One classic Mancunian debut in a year would have been something to shout about. Now WFANFC have matched The Longcut’s achievement, the bar has officially been raised. You almost have to pity the rest. | 
