Night Thieves - ‘Polarity’ review
Night Thieves by Pearl Cook
London has always been a hotbed of new musical acts in the rock scene. Part of that continuing wave of talent is alt-metal foursome Night Thieves. This group has been subject to some very high praise in recent times. They self-release their 3rd EP Polarity, on 19 January. Here's what we thought:
With 'Collide', guitar and bass from Paul Andrew and Rick Hunter-Burns yo-yo one another to open. Comparisons to Architects and Spiritbox may be ill-led. Night Thieves had an original sound with this one that carries well. 'Collide' also features the thumping efforts of Tom Connolly. The man behind the kit for Dreamsate also recorded Polarity before Ryan Delglyn joined. The battle between Connolly on drums and Andrew on guitar helps carry this song, so it's not a vocals-only affair. Jess Moyle has a powerful vocal style that couldn't fault itself and stands out a lot. The production of their vocals on 'Collide' stands out, the band had a lot of praise for Dodengoda's work. 'The Way The Story Goes' carries as much heavy guitar, but shows Moyle performing a step slower, for the better. This is a lot more dramatic of a track. Again, trying to link comparisons for Night Thieves feels like a disservice. The group has a very satisfying style where you can distinguish each instrument. The bassline throughout 'The Way the Story Goes' helps show the four different elements of Night Thieves as people where some bands focus on being so seamless that they somewhat merge into one.
That said, Andrews's work on the guitar in 'Through The Looking Glass' is the star here. The tone is impeccable for diversifying "What is a Night Thieves song?". This track also received the music video treatment, with that premiering on 12 January. One would assume that's a sign of Night Thieves pinning priority on this track, and it's a wise choice. It's not the heaviest track on the record, but also stands as a good way to continue to fit them into other markets. 'Walkaway' snatches the 'heaviest track' accolade. On a personal level, this may have been better served as the opening track over 'Collide'. That suggestion is only because of how enjoyable 'Walkaway' is. It ties together all the positives of the previous tracks and crams them into 3 minutes. In the EP's current running order, it ends Polarity with a bang.
Night Thieves have made a strong next step in the journey with the release of Polarity. The group has had praise from all over the alt-scene, and you can expect that to continue. At sub 15 minutes long, Polarity tackles a lot, maybe even a case of Night Thieves overachieving for a 4-track EP. The challenge now is how Night Thieves tackle the EP in the flesh at live shows. They're now a complete unit with Ryan Delglyn on drums and are eager to show us. They seem to have stuff in the studio on lock.
Polarity the self-released EP from Night Thieves is out 19 January and available on all good streaming platforms. Those itching to see the band live can catch them live supporting Kite Thief in London on 1 March.
