Wah Wah Wah Wah is the debut EP from No Hit Radio, a three-piece lo-fi alt-rock band from Cardiff, Wales made up of Dan Newman (vocals and bass), Sharon Thompson (guitar and vocals) and Martin Kelly (drums). They got together in 2019 and recorded this EP with Steff Pringle (Adwaith, Estrons). Dan was previously front man in Steveless, who released two albums on Cherryade Records, recorded three sessions for BBC Radio 1 and finished in the top 10 of the final legendary John Peel’s Festive 50. Sharon has played guitar in Master and Dog, one of the few unsigned bands to play the Late Late Show.
‘Laughing Song’ opens this brilliant 4 track EP. It may be billed as lo-fi, but it doesn’t sound it at all. Big drums and a nice thick bass opens this stop start 1.23 of pop loveliness. Newman’s vocals are monotone and laid back. Fallesque would be a lazy comparison, but I can’t think of another one at the moment. Nightingales maybe? Either way, really great. ‘The Feelings Haver’ starts with some nice feedback which eventually launches into another stop start 1.08 bombastic bass driven slice of shouty perfection. Noisy Sonic Youthy guitar just add to the brilliance.
‘No, Me’ has great guitar riffs and flourishes running throughout this fast and frenetic track. Newman’s vocals feature throughout and are high in the mix. But the guitar is the star of this track. The bassy breakdown just before the end gives a false sense of security until the noise and chaos starts back up for the final fuzzy nail in the this pop coffin. Just fucking great! Final track ‘We Wanted More’ is perhaps more nuanced and again featured Newman’s vocals upfront. The production of this EP really has to be applauded with each instrument playing an equal part. Especially on this track. The longest track on the EP, it’s noisy, chaotic and bucks ‘traditional’ song structure (as do the other three to be honest), yet it’s surprisingly tuneful beneath its layers and changes in melody and its hectic tempos.
Clocking in at just 6.57, this four track EP is crammed full of ideas and is an absolute joy to listen to. You may not ‘get’ what the band is about after one listen, but this record ages well after 3 of 4 spins. No Hit Radio have a good pedigree and by the sounds of this debut, have a shit load more to offer. Give a listen to your next favourite band.
Review by Ioan Humphreys