That Hidden Promise is the music project of British singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Wayne Lee, who’s been recording and performing under that moniker since 2011. Now based in Bristol, England, the talented and versatile fellow writes, records and produces all his songs, plays acoustic and electric guitar, and creates all his own music, including beats and percussion. He’s produced an extensive catalog of outstanding alternative and pop-rock music over the past 12 years, often incorporating blues, post-punk, folk, electronic, psychedelic and shoegaze elements into the mix. The result is a varied and eclectic sound, delivered with exceptional guitar work and distinctive, gravelly vocals that remind me at times of a young Bob Dylan.

I’ve featured That Hidden Promise on this blog a number of times over the last six years, most recently in October 2020 when I reviewed his brilliant album Who Knows Now? This past April, he released Pre THP – Vaults: 2001​-​2008 Vol. 1, an album featuring eleven older tracks Lee wrote in the years prior to launching That Hidden Promise. Now he returns with a powerful new single “Some Days (I Just can’t stand)“, the first track from his forthcoming album A New Horizon, due for release later this year.

The song is a diatribe against the seemingly endless stream of bullshit bombarding us these days, whether it be from corrupt politicians, the media, duplicitous people, or just the everyday hassles of life, leaving us feeling beaten down and sucking the joy out of our lives. To drive home his message, Lee starts off with a terrific thumping bassline and drumbeat, then unleashes a reverb-soaked onslaught of roiling jagged riffs, pummeling bass and explosive percussion lasting five and a half minutes. He shreds his guitar with abandon, serving up some blistering solos later in the second half of the song that send shivers down my spine. Yet despite the music’s ferocity, there’s much melodic beauty to be found in his intricate guitar work. He’s a true guitar virtuoso, and I think this is one of his heaviest and best songs ever!

Lee doesn’t have a particularly powerful singing voice, but he more than rises to the occasion here, venting his spleen with an emphatic fervor as he bitterly snarls “Everybody’s just shouting but who’s to know? Bring me life, bring me death, bring me something, that makes more sense. Woah. Heal me, release me. Give me all the things I want but can’t….get. Hold me up, cos some days, I just can’t stand!” And I just love his little “woahs” sprinkled throughout the track, injecting a bit of levity into the otherwise intense proceedings.

Here’s the song on Bandcamp:

And on YouTube:

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