SINGLE REVIEW: What Will Be – Slow Down

It’s not been an easy start for Manchester based alt rock outfit What Will Be. Kicking off their careers back in 2019, their plans to get out and perform live were stopped by a little world changing event. Rather than giving up before they had even started, however, What Will Be took this as an opportunity to crack on with perfecting their studio outfit, and in late 2022, the band finally dropped their debut EP.

Now having finally reached the live circuit, performing with well-known promoters such as Scruff of the Neck and receiving radio play on an international level, What Will Be are ready to take their next major step with a new EP in early 2024. The band have commenced this latest era with a fresh new single, ‘Slow Down‘.

The band list their influences as being the likes of Arcane Roots, Incubus, and City & Colour, and those huge sounds are clear to hear on this latest track, which deftly blends monstrous stadium sized hard rock with the catchy, down-to-earth indie that is the lifeblood of the Manchester grassroots scene. It’s a compelling stylistic choice that is certain to catch you off guard.

Percussive rhythms that strangely wouldn’t go amiss in some groovy post-hardcore collide with vocals that feel like they’ve arrived from your favourite 90’s arena rock band, all wrapped up with a delicate blend of sparse keys and punchy guitar riffs. ‘Slow Down‘ alternates between spacious verses and huge choruses with effortlessness, capturing a real cinematic vibe that is certainly unexpected from a band so early in their career.

All of this builds to gift the introspective lyricism some real power and emotive weight, capturing the necessity of finding moments in life to actually take care of oneself, despite the hurtling chaos of modern life that drags you along. Repeated listens elevate the track from a good rock track, to a surprisingly beautiful ode to looking after each other, the musicianship peeling away in layers to reveal more and more interesting facets of the track to revel in.

The pandemic was a challenge to navigate for musicians, to say the very least, but that choice from What Will Be to hone their craft in the face of immense challenge truly shows on the musicianship of this track. ‘Slow Down‘ is another promising moment for this outfit, who certainly have a place to call their own in the modern alternative scene.

For Fans Of: Incubus, Kongos, Thrice, Snow Patrol, Biffy Clyro

Follow the band on social media below:

Instagram // Spotify // Twitter