Black Hats

Falling for the wrong person? The Buzzcocks sang about it. Black Hats have a rather more direct solution: get out, get moving and stop wasting your precious time on a lover who’s doing you no favours. With their latest release, ‘Not With Another’, the Oxford indie-rock trio turn romantic regret into a punchy, groove-driven escape route, and they sound all the better for it.

Where their previous single, ‘Witness To Everything’, kept things closer to their post-punk foundations, ‘Not With Another’ takes a confident sidestep into something looser, funkier and gloriously unpredictable. Budd’s bass line provides the backbone, locking into a groove that gives the track its swagger, while Mark’s restless drumming keeps everything twitching just beneath the surface. Then comes the piano solo, a frantic burst of keys that barges into the arrangement with delicious disregard for convention.

Nick’s lyrics bring a change of direction, too, delivering the message with the kind of sharp-witted directness that makes you want to sing along while mentally deleting an ex’s phone number. There’s a welcome sense of movement here: Black Hats aren’t simply repeating a formula; they’re stretching it, shaking it up and seeing where the rhythm takes them.

The band’s sound draws on the best traditions of British guitar music, marrying reggae-infused bass lines and skittering rhythms with razor-edged guitars and melodies that carry a distinctly punk-pop bite. There are echoes of The Jam’s melodic precision and Gang of Four’s angular tension, but Black Hats bring enough personality and groove to avoid getting trapped in a retro tribute act.

The Oxford trio — Mark, Budd and Nick — have already demonstrated their credentials, working with Grammy-nominated producer Sam Williams, known for his work with Supergrass and Plan B, on their debut single ‘Kick In The Doors’. They’ve shared stages with Reef, Dodgy and Stornoway, played festivals including Truck and Wychwood, and seen their earlier single ‘No More Smoke’ featured in the US television series Shameless and The Magicians.

‘Not With Another’ feels like a band comfortable enough in its own skin to start messing with the seams. The groove is tighter, the arrangement more adventurous and the attitude deliciously dismissive. It’s music for anyone who has ever looked at a disastrous relationship and finally decided that enough is enough.

Black Hats have delivered a sharp, catchy reminder that sometimes the best love song is the one that tells you to walk away. Turn it up, leave the drama behind and dance your way out of the door.

Listen and find out more at blackhats.co.uk.