32 TENS – Single Review: “This Just Ain’t My Year”

Calling themselves a “half decent band from the sonic wastelands of Warrington“, British indie rock trio 32 tens are an assault on the senses, but in a good way! Named after the classic 90’s Nokia phone, and influenced by such acts as Jack White, Jamie T and The Arctic Monkeys, 32 tens play a fierce and gritty brand of indie post-punk that’ll immediately shake away whatever ennui that might be plaguing you. Making this awesome noise are Max Vickers on vocals and guitar, Sam Glancy on lead guitar and Danny Hall on drums, with Ed Dowling of alt-rock band The Zangwills (another terrific band with a lead singer also having the surname Vickers but no relation, who I’ve also featured on this blog) as guest bassist.

I recently learned about 32 tens when their manager Jackie (who also manages The Zangwills) reached out to me about their latest single “This Just Ain’t My Year“, and it knocked me for a loop. I was so intrigued, I had to go check out their back catalog of songs, and immediately became hooked on their high-octane edgy sound and Max’s unusual vocals. I love their music, and have been listening to them nearly on repeat the last few days.

From what I can tell, they’ve been releasing only singles since 2017, and have garnered some very impressive streaming stats. Their 2017 single “Lost” has racked up over 2.1 million streams on Spotify alone, with six other singles earning over 100,000. “This Just Ain’t My Year” is their 15th single, and has already been named Record of the Week on XS Radio, and last week, it garnered the top spot on Tom Robinson’s Fresh on the Net.

The song’s a rip-roaring banger, storming out of the gates with a torrent of shredded guitars, hard-driving basslines and explosive drums. The pace is fast and relentless as 32 tens blow our minds and ears for two minutes and 51 seconds. It’s the kind of song you want playing when you feel like breaking some shit. The one brief moment we’re able to catch our breath comes in the bridge at 1.37, where we hear only the wonderful thumping rhythm of Ed’s bass and Danny’s drumbeats. Max’s warbly vocals are a thing of wonder, at once both sweet and raw, a winning combination that’s perfectly suited to their dynamic and gnarly sound.

The lyrics touch on the struggles of the everyday person trying to make it through a difficult time: “Hard to see what’s real when you’ve been living by sin and I know you’re tired. People only really give in when there’s no fight left. Everytime you’re getting close, just enough fear to face my ghost. I swear, this just ain’t my year.”

“This Just Ain’t My Year” is another fantastic single by this amazing band, and I can’t wait to hear what they come up with next!