Photo Credit: Olivia Macrae
Words: Izzy Hayden

Arkayla are already on a generational run. 

From blowing up on social media with tracks like ‘Doctor’ and ‘Waste Of Time’ to landing a spot on so many major festival lineups this summer, they’ve already been creating a buzz and it doesn’t feel like they are even close to reaching their peak yet. 

The Manchester bands new EP ‘Back To Belle Vue’ opens with ‘Run Kid,’ a moshpit creating, gig-ready track that makes the collection of songs immediately attention-grabbing. The entire song is high-energy but the final chorus takes it to another level. ‘Ohhh you better run kid’ frontman Cal Blakebrough near whispers on the build up while the guitar hooks get more prominent until he belts “now you know you gotta run kid” as hopeful riffs and bold drumming patterns keep the single serotonin heavy. I wouldn’t be surprised if soon enough you find ‘Run Kid’ in indie classics playlists alongside summertime hits like ‘Not Nineteen Forever’ and ‘What You Know.’

Giving Dylan Murphy’s infectious drumming a spotlight in the intro, ‘Vivian’ starts with a muffled women’s humming. It feels relaxing yet somewhat troubling at once, like a voice from the past and while the track isn’t particularly downcast it feels more vulnerable than much of their upbeat discography. An infectious instrumental bridge, still backed by the humming, seems a little delicate but you almost ignore that because all your attention is taken by the 2000’s sounding guitar lick that dominates the final part of the song. Then suddenly becoming acoustic, you almost get whiplash but Blakebrough’s soothing vocals really are the perfect way to end any track.

Continuing the gentle vibe, ‘My Number’s lyrics grapple trying to move on and escape contact with someone who you feel wronged by. Despite its theme the song in no way feels angry or hurt, the soothing guitar hooks and Blakebrough’s light vocals bend the song so it’s more so coming from a place of relief. The track is laid-back but as always incredibly catchy. 

The calm doesn’t last long, ‘Doba’ rounds off the EP perfectly, leaving us with that vibrant energy Arkayla are loved for. The show stopper is Joey Harley’s unrestrained bassline, mixing that with Finley Ruben’s feisty guitar they’ve crafted a single that is not only distinct and confident but also a straight up tune. Lyrically ‘Doba’ is infused with hope and aspiration, named after Polish explorer Aleksander Doba who was known for voyaging across oceans before sadly passing while hiking mount kilimanjaro. Overall, the song is about following dreams, not giving up when others pass judgement and living in the moment, a very wholesome way to close the EP. 

While short, only consisting of 4 songs, ‘Back To Belle Vue’ sees Arkayla taking indie-rock to a new high with their musical charisma, ruthless talent and glowing lyrics.