LIVING BODY

‘Don’t Give Up On Me’ is intriguingly tagged as ‘post-Brexitcore’. What does that mean? Is it going to be a lament to a discarded European project, a call-to-arms for a divided Britain? Maybe there will be a plaintive Jeremy Corbyn crying out the chorus as he fights to save his leadership? Or could it feature Boris Johnson banging away on the drums while Michael Gove stabs him in the back with a shard of broken cymbal?

The answer to what post-Brexitcore is, is…well, I don’t know what it is. I’m pretty sure it’s not the last two suggestions, but I like it anyway. To class ‘Don’t Give Up On Me’ under a second totally made-up genre, I’d probably pigeonhole it as ‘experimental menace-indie’.

It’s minimalist, there’s a military-esque drum underneath the repetitive chorus and the vocals are ethereally sinister, a little like how Portishead could make your skin tingle. The first time around it’s almost creepy, but the more you hear it the prettier and more hopeful it becomes. And considering it isn’t a classically catchy song ‘Don’t Give Up On Me’ is insidious, seeping in like an evil earworm.  After my first listen I went off to do something else and found myself muttering the chorus over and over without realising it.

Living Body – a Leeds-based group made up of members of bands such as Sky Larkin and Vessels – have just finished off their first tour and are promising a post-Brexitcore album at some point. If this is going to be representative of the genre then I’m keen to hear more.

Words by Tom Worley

Tipped by Bill Cummings