I’ve been following Manchester, UK rock band Partisan for a couple of years, and I love their music. Like many bands, they’ve undergone a few personnel changes since their formation, but their music has remained consistently good. Partisan is now made up of Stuart Armstrong on guitar and vocals, Dan Albon on bass, and Leo Stanfield on drums. I previously featured their fantastic single “Juggernaut” on this blog two years ago, in the summer of 2016, and that October had the pleasure of meeting them when they performed at the legendary Whisky a Go Go on the Sunset Strip. They’ve released several excellent tracks since then, and in May they dropped their latest single “Oxygen.”

The new track nicely delivers more of their signature high-energy melodic rock. It opens with sounds of sirens in the distance, then Albon lays down a bass riff as Armstrong’s punchy guitar and Stanfield’s snappy drums enter the proceedings. Tasty intricate guitar riffs ensue along with heavier percussion, all the while anchored by Albon’s subtle bass line. Armstrong’s fervent vocals are positively sublime. I really love his distinctive tenor voice, which is a major component of Partisan’s unique sound that sets them apart from any other band.

My take on the song is that it seems to be about realizing that a relationship one took for granted is worth salvaging. That there’s enough oxygen – love – for two for the relationship to survive. “I was too blind to see. I was too drunk to feel. Denying ourselves the truth. There must be enough to breathe. Oxygen release. / Let me be the one that saves you. / Let me be the one to keep you breathing.”

The dark, brilliant video shows the band performing the song in a dank, filthy room in a decrepit old building. As the song progresses, dust and smoke permeate the room as the walls begin closing in on them, sucking out the oxygen. By the end, Armstrong is shown trapped and curled up in a tightly enclosed space. An interesting side feature in the video is that among the various photos on the wall is one of a smiling President Trump (who can suck the oxygen and joy out of a room like a Harry Potter Death Eater). His photo is eventually shown pierced with darts. That brought a big smile to my face!

Catch Partisan at one of their upcoming shows in and around Manchester:

June 5             Gullivers, Manchester
June 30           Save the Children Charity event
Sept 27           Sonder Festival, Manchester

Connect with Partisan:  Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Stream their music:  Spotify / Apple Music / Soundcloud
Purchase:  iTunes