Words by Will Tomer @GrandmastaTomer
Those avant-garde punkers-slash-moonlight-models for Yves Saint Laurent, The Garden, return to the music world on October 9 when they release ‘Haha’ via Epitaph and Burger Records.
The LP, which is the follow-up to 2013’s ‘The Life And Times Of A Paperclip’ and is being billed as their first proper record, is being teased with a haunting new single, ‘All Smiles Over Here :)’. In keeping with past releases, the single features a minimalist approach that has Fletcher Shears’ plodding drumbeat front-and-centre with Wyatt’s monotone vocals giving the track an uneasy edge.
The brothers have clearly honed a neo-punk sonic formula and are showing no signs of shying away from the bizarreness that has made them such an appealing draw on the European tour circuit. Their philosophy of “Vada-Vada”, described by Wyatt as “an idea that represents pure creative expression that disregards all previously made genres and ideals” seems to be more alive than ever as The Garden effortlessly defy categorisation.
At just under three minutes, ‘All Smiles Over Here :)’ is the longest track by The Garden to date. Considering that most of their tracks have come in at under 90 seconds, the sure-to-be trippy 17-track trip into the Vadaverse on ‘Haha’ should be on everyone’s radar this autumn.
The Garden will play the following UK dates later this year:
31 October – Ramsgate Music Hall, Ramsgate
1 November – Bodega, Nottingham
2 November – The Exchange, Bristol
3 November – Green Door Store, Brighton
4 November – Dingwalls, London
5 November – Hare And Hounds, Birmingham
6 November – Gullivers, Manchester
7 November – Broadcast, Glasgow
8 November – Headrow House, Leeds