REVIEW: thistle. - it's nice to see you, stranger

Think, for a moment, about the town that springs to mind when I use the term “alternative rock”. Maybe you’re transported to New York, the hallowed doors of CBGB spitting out David Byrne’s skittish poetry in your mind’s ear. Closer to home, Madchester and the recently resurrected spectre of Oasis might send your train of thought up to England’s North West. Regardless of where you thought of, it almost certainly was not Northampton, the not-quite-Midlands shoemaking capital of England whose biggest musical export is likely Faye Tozer of Steps fame. Nevertheless, unburdened by the responsibility of carrying their town’s flag, thistle. announce their arrival on debut EP it’s nice to see you, stranger, a scuzzy, distortion-laden project which at times lacks tightness and a clear vision for their sound, but at its peaks evokes memories of the unpolished 90's at their very best.

The multi-part 'cobble/mud' begins the EP, its noisy, My Bloody Valentine pastiche opening giving way to slower, deliberate finger-picked guitars, on top of which a wall of noise is gradually reintroduced. It’s an intriguing opening to the EP which is immediately and effectively followed up on by the title track, this project’s strongest song. Cameron Godfrey’s fuzzy lead guitar lines wonderfully compliment his understated yet still expressive vocal style, as he croons through lines about lacking familiarity with old friends. The transition between this and the following track, 'fleur rouge', is perhaps it’s nice to see you, stranger’s single best five seconds, and although the track that follows is somewhat more meandering than its predecessor, it does boast drummer Lewis O’Grady’s best performance, particularly with his impressive use of fills on the song’s back half.

'holy hill' sees thistle. repeating 'cobble/mud'’s trick, albeit over a much shorter run-time. Clocking in at just over 1 minute 30 seconds, the track begins with a hair-raising hardcore passage that suddenly subsides to a slower, spacier sound that eventually jolts into the closer, 'wishing coin'. The odd combination of insanely blown out guitars and Pinegrove-style lo-fi yelped vocals makes this a sonically confusing finale to an otherwise promising EP.

Though it is clear that thistle. are yet to carve out a niche particular to themselves, they nevertheless bring their influences together judiciously to make a project laced with compelling moments. Hardcore, grunge, and shoegaze are all represented, and though the band struggle to provide novel takes on any of these sounds, they nevertheless provide accomplished renditions of them all, as well as intersecting them proficiently.

Score: 7/10

it's nice to see you, stranger was released on July 4th 2025.

Words: Ali Glen

Photos: thistle.