Palm Reader have dropped the video for “False Thirst”, a fan favourite taken from their highly acclaimed new album ‘Sleepless’ (out now on Church Road Records).
Directed by Sam Lees, the striking video continues on the narrative from the video for their previous single ‘Willow’.
Vocalist Josh Mckeown says
“This song is about the normality behind life’s difficulties. We all find it hard in some respect. So, considering the thought of all our collective hardships, ‘should it be easy?’ That was the question I found myself asking whilst writing and it really helped me, even before it was answered, to gain some perspective. Realising you’re not alone in your troubles can really help to relieve the pressure we put on ourselves and reduce the stress surrounding those moments. In short, life is really fucking hard sometimes, but it goes on and it gets better.”
Palm Reader have also announced 2 headline shows for 2021 in the UK. The shows will see the band perform ‘Sleepless’ in full and a selection of songs from their heralded catalogue.
“We can’t wait to play the album in full… and I can’t wait to finally celebrate this release with our fans. The thought of playing this album live feels strange right now, but it’s also incredibly exciting. What feels stranger, is to think that these shows will see us celebrate a year of ‘Sleepless’. With the reception it’s generated so far being so overwhelming, I can only imagine how fucking great this is going to be.”
Palm Reader in 2021 are almost unrecognizable from the savage, technical hydra that used to regularly see them described as the UK’s answer to The Dillinger Escape Plan. At this point, they use their brutal hardcore roots merely as a starting point; songs on ‘Sleepless” like ‘Ending Cycle’, ‘False Thirst’ and ‘A Bird and It’s Feathers’ are a conglomerate of disparate styles, the sort of compositions that can only be written with years of battle-hardened experience. They are songs that define a band, not by constrictive genre boundaries, but distinctive characteristics that mark them out as individuals from their contemporaries. With ‘Sleepless’, Palm Reader are firmly establishing their own unique sense of identity.
The album marks yet another sonic evolution for the Nottingham-based quintet; every successive release, from 2013’s ‘Bad Weather’ to 2018’s critically acclaimed ‘Braille’, has shown progression, each album building upon the last without ever compromising the band’s ideals. The progression of Palm Reader’s career has been nothing short of breath-taking; from their humble beginnings playing house shows in the sleepy commuter towns of Surrey, to supporting Glassjaw at the world-renowned O2 Brixton Academy. If it’s not already abundantly clear at this point that this band possesses something special, then Palm Reader in 2020 are poised to indelibly mark themselves out as expert purveyors of their craft.
This success did not come without hard work and incredible musical talent, of course. The band have been honing their sound tirelessly over the years through three critically acclaimed albums, fighting tooth and nail to win over fans around the world by playing festivals such as Download, Pukkelpop, and Greenfield (to name but a few). The band’s ferocious live show has garnered stellar critical acclaim and a loyal and dedicated fanbase. Theirs is a hard-won reverence that has posited them as bonafide contenders for modern metal and the underground at large’s title for most revered band.
With the release of their fourth studio album ‘Sleepless’, coupled with signing to the UK’s hottest new independent label, Church Road Records, there is currently nothing stopping Palm Reader from reaching the very summit of the metal scene. With ‘Sleepless’, Palm Reader capitalizes and makes do on the promise of their previous material. The more seething barrages of metal found in their sound remain intact and their penchant for melody is more fine-tuned and purposeful, expounding on their inarguably growing appeal to fans old and new. Most importantly, however, the five-piece’s reputation finally stands unwavering in its own credibility as much as hard-earned mythology.
Tracklisting;
1 Hold/Release
2 Stay Down
3 Ending Cycle
4 Willow
5 A Bird and its Feathers
6 Islay
7 False Thirst
8 Brink
9 A Love That Tethers
10 Both Ends of the Rope
For more information on Palm Reader, check out their social media:
https://www.facebook.com/wearepalmreader
https://www.wearepalmreader.com/
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