Out this Wednesday October 22nd, Spearside release their new EP “Couldn’t Be Told”. There’s a wild, unpolished charm that runs through this four track EP that makes you want to turn the volume up until your walls start shaking.
It’s their first release since their last EP Hatchetman, and though the band were noticeably quiet on socials between early 2024 and mid-2025, this new batch of tracks feels like a well-spent absence. The Trim-based brothers Oisín and Cian Walsh once again handle everything themselves and Couldn’t Be Told feels bigger, louder, and more urgent than what has come before.
The title track kicks things off with a full-throttle wall of sound, a blur of crashing guitars, relentless drums, and half-shouted vocals that punch through the chaos. It’s raw and noisy, but that’s exactly what gives it its edge and uniqueness. You can hear flashes of White Stripes-style guitar work in those scrappy, brilliant solos that cut through the distortion. The production leans intentionally messy, though at times the vocals fight to be heard under the weight of the crashing instrumentation.
Sentimental and Stuck Into Me dig into that grunge-punk core side of the band, the former leaning slightly more melodic while still drenched in distortion and grit. “Say I’m something I’m not / Something I could never be” is about as honest an opening line as you’re gonna find. Stuck Into Me slows things just a touch but keeps that same bite. There’s a grungy texture here that really stands out, the kind that feels home-grown and handmade, like a band still fuelled by DIY drive and late-night sessions in someone’s back room.
Closing track No Such Thing feels like a statement in itself. It’s the most accessible and balanced cut of the bunch, noticeably cleaner vocals, sharper guitar tones, and a bit of breathing space between the noise. It’s less of a rager and more of a reminder that Spearside know how to write a solid song when they strip things down just slightly.
All in all, Couldn’t Be Told feels like a band sharpening their sound without losing the reckless heart that makes them special. It’s rough around the edges, sure, but that’s the point. Spearside aren’t here to sound polished; they’re here to sound alive and stand out from the rest.
‘Couldn’t Be Told’ is awarded a 7 out of 10
Reviewer – Alan Robinson @alan_robinson_photography