Blight Town are a relatively new five piece alternative/math rock band based in Nottingham, England. Formed just a little more than a year ago, the band consists of brothers Jake (vocals) and Sam Hough (guitar), Will Emmerson (guitar), Scott Taylor (bass) and Joseph Smith (drums). Together, they combine elements of progressive, math, pop and metal rock with powerful instrumentation, complex time signatures and a dramatic mix of screamo and melodic vocals to create their unique and wildly explosive sound.

Last September (2019) they released their terrific debut single “Jejunum”, and on August 8th they returned with “Argument Bargument“, the cheekily-titled second single from their forthcoming self-titled EP, due out later this year. The band states that the song is “A wistful retrospective on the transient nature of modern relationships and the lengths we will go to in order to rationalise our lived experience.”

The song opens with an enchanting strummed electric guitar that gradually becomes enveloped in wobbly reverb, piquing our interest as to what’s about to ensue. Suddenly, our ears are hit with a burst of chaotic gnarly riffs, throbbing bass and aggressive drumbeats as the song evolves into a rousing, melodically complex and discordant banger. Amid some lovely guitar noodling that punctuates the otherwise tumultuous proceedings, Jake’s vocals gymnastics are a thing of wonder as he either sweetly croons or scarily screams the lyrics. At first listen, I found his screamo vocals a bit off-putting, but after a few listens they grew on me to the point where I cannot imagine the song sung any other way. The contrast between his smooth and harsh vocals nicely complements the sense of tension and discord expressed in both the electrifying music and lyrics.

“Argument Bargument” is a brilliant song, and if it and “Jejunum” are any indication, their EP is sure to be  a winner.

Yeah, been throwing pennies down a wishing well
“Oh, what the hell?” I thought
I always knew that I would wish you well
You never wanted an argument, well now you’ve got it
And that’s why they call me the cynicist

Yeah, it’s so quiet
When you go to sleep
But we retire
We get busy, getting busier

Were not leaving, didn’t expect you would show
(Sore eyes, dead brain)
I’ve been reading, I think I’m losing control
(Sore eyes, dead brain)

You know I’d appreciate
Being kept in the loop
Yeah, you know I’d appreciate if somebody could tell me
Why what I did was so wrong

Don’t try to ghost me
‘Cause you don’t see through me
It’s beautiful
It ends too soon

Follow Blight Town:  Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Stream their music:  Spotify / Apple Music
Purchase:  Bandcamp / iTunes / Google Play