Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10
The Next Ones, the sound of the ominous demand from the waiting room, or the request of the highly regarded duo Paul and Steve Herron as they unleash four new songs on the public with the song of sincerity, passion and belief all leaving their trademark appeal to enjoy.
The latest E.P. from The Herron Brothers comes on the back of what has been a considerably busy period for the pair, the 2018 debut album, The Last Ones Left, and a 22-date summer U.K. tour, would have left others perhaps floundering, if not veering on exhaustion, the spirit high but the means to write new material shelved until the balance in the lives of the performers was equalised and seemingly refreshed. Some though see Time as a positive, the next moment in which to get either the message across, or to smile as a new beginning opens its doors and invites you in.
It is in beginnings that we see the themes of the past evolve, it is a different story, but one we understand we have to link to previous outings for the art of continuality to stride ever onward. It is in this that Paul and Steve Herron have sought to continue their progression, that the four tracks that make up The Next Ones, Bent Umbrella, Dead Fish, Hamstrung and Barry Szechuan follow the style of what has been but with the devilish glint of the eternal prowess of hope leaving its mark, sounding fresh, exciting, there is a harmony of expression that gleefully wants to create mischief but also is responsible enough to stand tall and take responsibility for the action they are about to undertake.
The feel of the E.P. is also one of the sustainable, not least because of the novel way of recording, the pair recording and mastering everything in the flat that they share, circumstances dictating the way forward, but also because the songs created are all together future proof, they are not only of the now and then disposed of down the line as with some artists unfortunately find, they are a plea to the times to come to take care, to be kind, a set of songs that have the benefit of harmony installed in them to make the future think twice about ignoring the deftness and skill of the performance.
An eventful year which concludes with a rather wonderful E.P., for fans of the Herron Brothers, this is all the gifts you can wish for, made real.
Ian D. Hall