I’ve been keeping a close eye on South London’s Ain’t for a while now. Their last two singles are sitting proudly in my 7-inch collection, and for good reason. Both 2024’s Oar / Teething and January’s Pirouette / Jude floored me with their authenticity and how gritty, melodic, and beautifully out of step with everything around it they were. Their new single ‘Long Short Round’ might just be the one that ties it all together.
Spanning just over six minutes, it’s a slow-unfolding, fuzz-soaked gem that finds the band sounding bolder and more expansive than ever. It pulls together everything that’s made their earlier work so addictive, that love of 90s guitar oddities, the post-punk grit, the shoegaze glaze, and lets it bloom into something richer and more cinematic.
The band, who are Hanna Baker Darch (Vocals), George Ellerby (Guitar/Vocals), Ed Randall (Guitar), Chapman Ho (Bass Guitar), and Joe Lockstone (Drums) have this to say about the track.
“Long Short Round is about doing little rituals that feel as if they’re doing something good, but they’re utterly pointless when it comes to getting what you’re hoping for.”
The opening stretch brims with distorted melody, guitars that shimmer and bite, and harmonised vocals that come together like the Ain’t we know and love. Then, somewhere around the midpoint, the song exhales. The noise clears, the tempo drifts, and suddenly Ain’t are walking through the echo of early-00s Midwest indie and we are firmly in slowcore territory. It really suits the bands dynamic, not to mention the vocals from both Baker Darch and Ellerby. Like an intimate conversation we’re overhearing they feel both hopeless and hopeful in equal measure. The stark contrast in guitars is powerful too, going from those swing for the bleacher’s riffs to the minimal pinched harmonics.
With ‘Long Short Round’ Ain’t have once again upped their songwriting to another level, elevating their music and undoubtedly endearing themselves to a whole new audience. Everything they’ve hinted at across those earlier singles comes together here. It’s a song that malingers about your noggin, its quiet melodies and fuzzy beauty looping around your thoughts. If this is the direction they’re heading, we’re in for something really special.
‘Long Short Round’ is out now and is available via the Ain’t Bandcamp page.
You can follow Ain’t on social media here….
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