Another new record from the Head, another shift in sound. When the trio first started making noise in 2015, they seemed determined to skate by on anthemic hooks and ’90s alt-rock riffs. Subsequent releases, however, have seen the band morph into all manner of interesting iterations—from gritty garage rockers to moody dream-pop auteurs and beyond. For their latest transformation, the group turned to producer Damon Moon of Standard Electric Recorders Co. who helped the Head adopt a more expansive approach to songwriting.

“Jesus H. Christ,” the first single from the upcoming A Midsummer’s Stag EP, is lush and well-textured, carrying with it echoes of glam era David Bowie and the Beach Boys. According to drummer Jack Shaw, the group embraced the opportunity to explore the studio, building each song from the ground up while utilizing a wide range of instruments. They also wrangled other musicians into their sessions, including fellow locals Me Me Me who arranged and performed the strings on the track. The pensive ballad marks another stepping stone for the three-piece, who’ve never been afraid to shed their collective skin and experiment with new sounds.

“I’m not sure exactly sure why we decided to go in this direction other than that’s just what we were feeling at the moment,” says Shaw. “We were listening to a lot of music at the time that relied on the studio as an instrument and took advantage of wall-of-sound techniques (we were listening to plenty of Beach Boys and Rufus Wainwright). All of our upcoming tours had also been canceled because of COVID, so we had more time to really explore in the studio and be creative.”

For the video, the band once again partnered with long-time collaborator Nick Rhodes who turns in one of his most memorable efforts as a director. The cinematic clip depicts bassist and vocalist Mike Shaw as a down-and-out drifter boozin’ his life away in a seedy motel. In familiar rock and roll fashion, the story unfolds through the prism of drugs and alcohol, as Shaw and his misfit friends party through a murky haze of sadness and elation that requires near-constant inebriation. Things go south in a hurry, however, when a traveling knife salesman crashes the festivities and some unintended bloodshed ensues.

Watch/listen above.

A Midsummer’s Stag is out July 31.

More Info
Bandcamp: thehead.bandcamp.com
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