Downpatrick alt-rock outfit The Thing Is return with the single ”I Would Rather”, a fierce and emotionally charged single that cements the band as one of the most compelling new voices in Ireland’s alternative scene. For fans of The Last Dinner Party, Wolf Alice, and Pillow Queens, this track delivers the same blend of cathartic intensity and razor sharp songwriting while carving out a voice entirely its own.
At its core, ”I Would Rather” is a defiant anthem of reclamation, a song about resisting control, reclaiming identity, and choosing self preservation over submission. The Thing Is channel that message into a performance brimming with urgency, balancing gritty guitar work and pounding rhythms against vocals that shift effortlessly between vulnerability and fury.
The track’s emotional centre lies in its refusal to accept domination, instead framing liberation as an act of survival. This reaches its peak in the bridge, where I Would Rather spirals into vivid, almost chaotic imagery, listing all the things the narrator would rather endure than ever be in that person’s presence again. It’s a moment of raw inner turmoil and hard-won determination, capturing the breaking point where fear transforms into freedom.
The band harness a jagged, restless energy that mirrors the song’s subject matter, building tension with every verse before erupting into a chorus designed to be screamed back in packed out venues.
With ”I Would Rather”, The Thing Is deliver more than just a standout alt-rock single — they offer a single with bold, bruising, and emotionally unflinching, this is a band refusing to be ignored.
”I Would Rather” give it a 7 out of 10
Reviewer – Ian Mc Donnell @mcgigmusic
Photo credit – Anna Burnett