Hello reader. If you’ve been here for a hot minute then you’re already well aware of our love for Brit alt-pop giants, Only The Poets. If not, well then, sit back and let us open up your world! Once a Rising Star, OTP has risen, and they keep rising with their brand new and hotly anticipated EP release, One More Night. One of the best yet hardest parts of our job here at THP is hearing new releases before their release – We get to enjoy them early, but we also have to fight to keep our mouth shut when they’re this good. So after living with this EP for 2 weeks now, what’s our our review? Oh, just that it’s their best work to date. That’s all, thanks for reading.
Jokes, you know we are ready to write a novella about this incredible EP. Only The Poets have done it again and then some, with this joyous, hearfelt, and live-show geared record, which twinkles with the promise of its live delivery, sooths us with connections to issues so many of us face, and slaps us with banger after banger. Largely created while on the road during tour, the adrenaline of touring seeps from the pores of this EP.
“We’ve taken a lot of our influences from stuff we’re listening to now intertwined with Brit-pop and experimented with vocal layers and harmonies. At the back of our minds we’re constantly thinking about how these songs will sound live. We really wanted to go for that big, expansive stadium filler sound.”
Tommy Longhurst
If we only had One More Night left, how would we spend it? Well obviously, in the world of OTP. Check out our idea of the perfect One More Night, as we explore this brand new release and the talent of the people behind it. Before you read on, we highly recommend streaming it as you go! We’ll wait for you, stream it now on Spotify and Apple Music.
Our Perfect (Imaginary) One More Night: Location – A Pub In Reading
These Reading boys come alive when they’re on home turf, and we can speak on that from experience after catching them at Purple Turtle, Reading, last year. So of course, we’re spending our imaginary One More Night in Reading (a pub to be precise) with Only The Poets. Guitarist Clem is getting the pints in, lead singer and frontman Tommy suggests bowling and we politely say no, Drummer Marcus is checking the ingredients of his bar snack, and Bassist Andy is talking about what it’s like to play ba….. (sorry Andy) , while we’re just soaking in their presence and connection with each other. “Team” and “Family” are the words that come to mind when we think of these four artists together, and as Only The Poets fans, we’re priviledged to so often be treated like family too.
After a few pints, our perfect One More Night moves to the main event – listening to this delicious new EP. We experience each track together, and we get to discuss, laugh, and cry about this stunning release. How do we tell you that our final night on earth would be spent with Only The Poets and listening to this EP without being dramatic? We can’t and we’re fine with that.
‘One More Night’
Bop. She is a bop. The title track of the EP, ‘One More Night’ has been giving since its single release. A celebration of the nights that fill up our cups with joy, laughter, relationships and memories, the upbeat kick of this song echoes its joy filled nostalgic lyricism. It’s the nights we’d give anything to experience for ‘One More Night,’ the nights we’ll keep going back to, you know, kinda how we haven’t been able to stop going back to this track since its release. The repetitive almost chant like “One more night” post-chorus, acts as an intelligent writing string to OTP’s bow, continuing to live in our heads like a chorus of protest, demanding just that ‘One More Night.’ This song during OTP’s upcoming festival presence is going to be a huge moment!
‘Gone By Now’
Ooooh the start of this track scratched something in our “‘Teenagers’ by My Chemical Romance” brains. We’re very satisfied. Go and listen to it now and tell us we’re wrong! This euphoric single ticks every box of the sounds we love from Only The Poets – give us an instrumental drop and reentry, and we’re sold. A journey of falling in and out of love, trying to move on and being pulled back in like the ghost of lovers past, ‘Gone By Now’ is an emotional adventure of the heart not quite keeping pace with the decision to move on. Complimented by the stellar production (by OTP themselves as is the whole album!), while we want the pain and heartache to stop and become just a memory, we never want this track to end.
‘I Don’t Wanna Be Your Friend’
If it’s by Only The Poets and has an explicit label, you know we’re going to eat that up. Following ‘Gone By Now’ with this track was definitely a choice, and we support it. It’s giving a similar thread of wanting to move on, but…. more sweary? This moody melodic track brings in all the synth encrusted alt-pop edge while remaining a lively brain worm that we have been singing none stop since the single’s release. Another track sure to take the roof off any venue, or get the festival ground shaking, ‘I Don’t Wanna Be Your Friend’ has already been played at a number of tour stops and has quickly become a fan fave, as she deserves. We’re living for this broody darker side of the OTP sound, while not losing a second of the vocal buffet served by Tommy Longhurst, and the instrumental, songwriting and production talents of the Only The Poets unit.
‘… All This Time’
“Tune of the week” on Radio 1 for a reason! The newest and forth single release from the EP, which was co-written by The Nocturns, is deliciously soundscaped with synths, melodic drums, and building guitar. Possibly one of our favorite choruses of the EP, tour crowds are going to pop off at the many drops and crescendos sprinkled through this tried and true Only The Poets sound. A deserving single, ‘…All This Time’ gives a light solace from some of the darker alt tracks on One More Night, with a still cohesive, yet funkier sound. And can we take a moment for that “song” delivery from Tommy at 1:08? if you know, you know. If you don’t, go to the timestamp now, thank us later. Don’t say we never give you anything.
‘It’s Okay (Not To Be Okay)’
An easy early stand out from One More Night, ‘It’s Okay (Not To Be Okay)’ explores the theme of mental and emotional health, a topic so often openly platformed by Only The Poets. But if you’re thinking a mental health centred song is going to be a soft ballad, think again. While a slower pace to other tracks, that unique Only The Poets rock sound remains. Let’s call it a power rock-ballad? The track starts with a beautiful piano solo and Tommy’s powerful voice pulled back to its cracking point of vulnerability, but of course, it builds vocally and sonically. We quickly soak in Tommy’s full belt at the chorus, as we melt into the gravel we’ve come to know and love from OTP. Tommy’s vocal delivers the raw emotion that this track demands. We know that hearing this one live will be so therapetic for so many of us, and we’re so excited (and unstable) about experiencing that soon. A testament to the validity of struggling, ‘It’s Okay (Not To Be Okay)’ is a triumph of the sonic, vocal and lyrical connection and strength of this EP, of Only The Poets, and of the connection between band and fan.
P.S – Any remaining tour tickets can be found here, if you are late to the party!
‘Change’
Okay we might have used “funky” earlier, a bit too prematurely, because if a One More Night track deserves that title, it’s ‘Change!’ Easily one of the catchiest choruses of the album, if not the year, this energetic track has us shaking ass and taking names. This anthemic record is going to pop off at Reading and Leeds Fest when OTP play their iconic hometown festival in August, and we expect suitable ass-shaking for the occasion. Is alt-dance even a genre? Well it is now! We’re humming “You are the one making me want to make that… change” as we write this review, and with all of the music coming our way at THP, it’s no small feat to be the tune we keep coming back to!
‘One More Night – Alt Version and Live’
We’re foaming at the mouth for alternative versions of our fave songs. We’re always so interested in how alt versions came to be, and we adore artists and bands personally loving their art so much that they release different approaches to that art. ‘One More Night – Alt Version’ treats us to a more stripped back sound from this originally heavier track. And this lightness even further spotlights the unique qualities of Tommy Longhurt’s once-in-a-generation voice. It’s like a smooth chocolatey dessert after a fine meal, and we ate up every crumb. And how about ‘One More Night – Live?’ Well that’s the shot of Tequila that the waiter brings us as a surprise when the cheque comes! There’s few things we love more than official recording releases of live songs. Nothing makes this feel more like “fu**king family,” than fans basically being guest collaborators on music releases! A snapshot of the magic of an Only The Poets show, this track fixes fans into the auditory history of this ever-growing star band, and we adore every moment and the decision of its inclusion in the EP. We don’t know what show it was recorded at, but maybe that’s better. This way, it could be all of us! It’s Schrodinger’s concert crowd!
‘Black and Blue (Demo)’
Oh an acoustic, great, because our emotions can handle that right now. If Only The Poets’ demos have 100 fans, we’re one of them. If they have one fan, it’s us. If they have none, we’ve died. ‘Black and Blue’ explores the common theme of how to move on from love, but with a new perspective – How do you love again after that heartache? A true tale of unrequited love within this wider body of work just leave us with one question – who hurt Only The Poets? We just wanna talk. The emotional and raw quality of the track is perfectly enveloped by a simple acoustic guitar, making for a perfect addition to this masterful EP. But choose your EP copies carefully, it’s only available on the physical EP, not digital! You don’t want to miss this one!
“When you love somebody who don’t love you back, how can you love, love after that? I stand in the wreckage I used to call home, ‘cos time hasn’t taught me how to let go.” – Erm, ouch.
Our One More Night – The End Of The Night
So where did we get to? Pub, with OTP, soaking in this EP together? Yes please! Sadly, all good things must come to an end, and our One More Night is ending. Thankfully our streaming of this album isn’t, and it won’t be any time soon. Our perfect One More Night ends with sharing our love for this body of work with Only The Poets. We’d sit and tell them how connected we feel to this release, how its lyricism makes us feel seen, how sick their music is, and how proud we are of them. We’d finish our pints, hug goodbye knowing we spent our One More Night with easily one of the most talented emerging artists there is right now, not to mention the nicest. And then we’d go home, scream into a pillow, and blare this EP to the extent that the neighbours get annoyed.
Sadly, this is a pipe dream (but hey OTP, the invite’s there…). The fantasy is quite nice though, right? One More Night is a monumental body of art from Only The Poets, and we cannot wait to enjoy it live! We’ll be checking out the tour in August and we can’t wait to live in this album with you, and with Only The Poets. Congratulations to Only The Poets on a sublime release, it’s five star reviews across the board here at THP HQ, and as the teams’ resident OTP family, this writer is beaming with pride.
What’s your fave track from One More Night? Will we see you on tour too? Tell us it all over on our socials, by tweeting us at @thehoneypop or visiting us on Facebook and Instagram.
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