Reviewed by Matt Adcock (@Cleric20)
There’s a particular kind of album that it seeps in to your life, like something already in your bloodstream finally making itself known and engages your inner pleasure centre in a vice grip.
Time Won’t Wait For You from Harsh Language, is exactly that kind of record. Two years in the making, it’s emotionally wired to themes of mental health, fractured trust and the slow realisation that the people who promised to protect you… probably won’t, this is a controlled detonation of emotion - and it ROCKS.
Sonically, the band operate in that beautifully unstable space between shimmer and alt-rock weight. Guitars don’t so much riff as hover, thick with distortion and intent, while synths flicker underneath like faulty circuitry. There are echoes, think Deftones’ bruised atmospherics, Placebo’s emotional bite, a hint of Depeche Mode if you ran it through a blown speaker at 2am, but Harsh Language aren’t pastiche merchants. They’re building something messier. Something that breathes.
The early single “To Nothing” is the blueprint: bright, almost euphoric electronic energy colliding with a wall of guitar and a lyrical undercurrent that suggests everything is quietly falling apart. That tension between uplift and collapse is where the album lives. It’s what gives the record its pulse.
“One Punch Man” closes with some of the best dialogue from Aliens- which is the inspiration not just for this band but my heist thriller novel coming soon too!? (Find out more here)…
This isn’t nihilistic music. That would be too easy. Instead, it carries what the band have called a “melancholy optimist” core, the sense that hope is still there, stubbornly flickering… even as reality keeps proving it misplaced. Love appears, but it doesn’t stabilise. Healing is suggested, but never quite arrives. Time, as the title makes brutally clear, isn’t on your side…it’s actively taking things from you.
What elevates Time Won’t Wait For You is how deliberately unpolished it feels. Recorded and mixed by the band, with drums tracked at Bush Studios and mastering from Philip Marsden, the album resists the over-sanitised sheen of modern production. It’s not lo-fi per-se but it’s not pristine either, you can hear the edges, the choices, the human fingerprints all over it.
This isn’t an album trying to soundtrack your best life. It’s the one you reach for when things aren’t working, when things are real, when the night stretches out a bit too long and your thoughts get louder than they should.
Time Won’t Wait For You is excellent, one that will stay with you and bodes well for future Harsh Language!!
Out of a potential 5, you have to go with a Darkmatters:
(5 - a melancholy-optimist-electro-em-up that hits like pulse rifle.)
I had the chance to put some questions to the band - here's what they had to say:
Matt: There’s this fascinating tension between textures and heavier alt-rock weight, who are the artists (or even non-musical influences) that helped you find that balance?
Sean: 65daysofstatic has always been a big influence - in one of my old bands we saw them do a Radio 1 session at Maida Vale and it was a bit of an epiphany - I'd had these ideas for ages about blending the styles but no idea on how to actually pull it off and that was an eye opener. NIN and acts like MaybeSheWill, HEALTH and Scaler have also been a steady 'guide' for want of a better word. Over time, the balance has evolved and we're pretty happy with the mix - and also more than happy to extract the more electro elements or focus on them where it feels appropriate.
Rob: Sean's inception of the band was heavily influenced by artists that represent those two contrasting textures. It continues to influence our writing because of the freedom and value those contrasting soundscapes offer an audience. Personally, I take ownership over the low end and spend a lot of time considering how that can create tension, release and moments that capture the attention of the listener.
Alec: That's been Sean's goal from the start and it's something we continue to develop and hone as we write more. Sean used to mention the band 65daysofstatic a lot when we first got together and I remember listening to their first album and having that lightbulb moment of 'Oh cool, I get it.' Of course they're a lot proggier than we are, but the ideas are there of blending melodic synth with something heavier and a bit more in your face. We like the 'wall of noise' guitars you find in shoegaze and hardcore bands from the 90s. We're also a bunch of nerds so the playful nature of math rock appeals to us, so ultimately we're influenced by a lot of different sounds and operating within them mostly, sometimes separately and sometimes all at once.
Matt: The album circles mental health, love, and disappointment in people who were meant to protect you, was it important to keep those themes ambiguous, or are they rooted in very specific experiences?
Sean: They're mostly ambiguous, taken from a mix of collected experiences over the years or imagined scenarios based on those - I don't often tend to write specifics unless I want to tell a certain story, I like being indirect and I like people making their own conclusions from what they hear and relating it to their own stories.
Rob: These topics are present in our collective lives, as well as in the public consciousness atr the moment. It feels natural that these themes leak into our writing too. I wrote the lyrics to Helium Heart as a way of expressing myself following a close friend taking their own life. The line 'This isn't finding god, this is running away' was a deliberately barbed since I wanted to find a way to express my anger at their actions through the grief and sadness I was feeling. The rest is a more deliberately ambiguous exploration of my feelings at that time. I like the think that the listener might not necessarily read the subject matter of the song right away.
Alec: I'll let Sean and Rob answer that one but as someone that joined the band as bit later, I found the ambiguity of the lyrics and themes actually resonated with me personally. In the ambiguity there is specificty as people will relate the ideas to their own experience.
Matt: You’ve used the phrase “melancholy optimist” do you see that as a survival mechanism or a worldview or both?
Sean: Definitely both. I'm someone who hopes for the best but is prepared for the worst. Like many people, I've been let down and also let people down, but I'm a lot more positive these days and able to learn from that. It's also difficult to know what's going on with the world right now, but importantly I think most people are decent and just want to let people live and not be a shit to each other, and as long as we have that I think there's always a chance that it will work out - It's hard to see that when you're stuck on social media, but I want to believe it!
Alec: For me, this phrasing matches my own worldview in that I do think everything is a bit rubbish currently, but I know that things only get better after they've been bad. Everything will be alright in the end and if it isn't alright then it's not the end.
Matt: There’s a sense across the album that time isn’t neutral, it’s actively taking things from you. Was that a conscious theme from the start, or something that emerged as you wrote?
Sean: It's a bit of both, as time goes on that's definitely become a focus in my life - to make the most of my life and the people I love as we don't know how long we have here. So I know that mindset was present at the start of writing, as the lyric that the album's named after comes from imperial.bedrooms, which was one of the first songs I ever wrote under the Harsh Language banner! But it also it wasn't a conscious thought to actively put that into the writing of the album overall, it just evolved that way - and I imagine it will continue to be a common topic.
Rob: Ageing, entropy and our own failings in life come into sharper focus as we age I think. Seeing idols age, loved ones pass away, tragedy in the world, all contribute to the feeling that the safety and security of youth are somehow being 'taken' from us as we age and move chronologically further away. I suppose it's another example of ideas from our non-creative lives entering our writing by way of osmosis. Perhaps it would be less emotionally arduous to write about driving fast cars or partying hard...
Matt: “To Nothing” feels like a mission statement, was it always the obvious single, or did it reveal itself to you later?
Sean: Later really. 'To Nothing was an interesting one - I'd written this synth part ages ago and it was a completely different, much slower minute of a song. One day I just thought to try a different beat on it, and the song transformed into what it is now in pretty much an afternoon. Same with the lyrics and the vocals, it was one of those songs that went from limbo to something we were happy with really quickly. But it wasn't until we heard the full album together that it felt like something new and different and thought "that's our first single".
Rob: To Nothing was interesting because it's one of the entirely new songs on the album. It was also composed and put together in a new way for us. For example I heard the vocal melodies and lyrics for the first time when we tracked the vocals in the studio. Whilst composing and tracking the bass parts I certainly wasn't considering To Nothing to be the first single from the album. It didn't reveal itself until after Sean had mixed it and we realised we liked how different it was from the singles we've put out in the past. The 80's, electro influences were exciting to put out there as a representation of us.
Alec: It definitely revealed itself after the fact but it's a single born out of us really starting to get to grips with what we're trying to do and how we write / play together. Not to mention it's fully electronic, so you'll only hear my drums when we do it live. We're really happy with the blend of pop hooks and melodic samples coupled with chunky guitars and noise.
I think calling it a 'mission statement' is spot on for the future of the band. It feels like the culmination of a long process of meeting the guys, figuring out how we work together, learning the tracks Sean already had and writing new stuff. It's a single that closes a chapter and starts the next one, demonstrating what we want to achieve next.
Matt: Are there any tracks on the album that were particularly difficult to finish, either technically or emotionally?
Sean: Technically, 'Melancholia' - that was so early in the mixing process (and learning to mix) that I wanted it to set the standard really early. And every time I'd start mixing something else, I'd learn a bit more and come back and try new techniques. I dread to think how many different mix variants of that song there are...
Emotionally, it was 'What we Make'. I wrote those lyrics after I'd had a nothing argument with my wife and I went to take a walk. I found myself in the corner of this pub with headphones and just thinking about why that happened, what was really going on in my head and realising the worries I was going through that I hadn't taken any time to really process, and I just started thinking about what a positive effect my wife has had on my life. And so I really wanted to take the time to make that song really lyrically important, about steering away from negative space and taking action to make a positive change in yourself.
Rob: Helium Heart is a personal commentary on my own emotional reaction to finding out my friend Jasper took his own life. We made the decision that Sean would sing the verses, having been written a more ambiguous, opaque tone and I would sing the choruses, which are written in more direct, emotive language. I find myself being aware of those feelings of sadness and anger whenever I step up to sing those lyrics. To Nothing also has quite a busy bass part that is a bit of a work out live.
Alec: Sean would probably say Melancholia from a technical stand point. That was the one he worked tirelessly on to make sure it was the benchmark for the rest of the album.
For myself, theresalwaysabiggerinterlude was probably the biggest challenge with its constantly changing structure and odd time signatures.
Matt: Conversely, was there a moment where something just clicked, a song that came together almost too easily?
Sean: To Nothing and Helium Heart came together really quickly once the framework was there, but I often don't trust it if something comes together too quickly!
Rob: Helium Heart, again. I presented a very basic, scruffy version of the song to Sean and it almost seemed to will itself into existence. The heavy chugging guitar riff was an early idea of Sean's and I just loved it instantly. The song seemed to fall into place for me. It was previously a bit longer and we decided to cut it down and even that happened easily, we were all in agreement right away. I wish they were all like that!
Alec: Ironically, theresalwaysabiggerinterlude worked pretty much right away for us. It's a reworking of one of Sean's earlier tracks called 'Interlude to Nothing' so we had that rehearsed already. I spent some time figuring out the drum part and how it would fit into the new structure, but with enough practice it came together in the rehearsal room pretty swiftly.
Matt: Recording yourselves gives you total control but also no safety net. Did that freedom ever become overwhelming?
Sean: For me, often it did - it was a big part of why it took so long for me to mix it. Trying to balance work and life stresses with the stress of making the mix work better - and learning how to become better at mixing - did mean that sometimes I just wasn't dedicating enough time to it. Now we're out the other side and it's all done though, it was really satisfying so I can see me doing it again in the future - just maybe not a whole album next time!
Rob: Personally, I felt the opposite. Many of the songs were re-records of songs Sean had written earlier. It was just a matter of getting them to a place where they reflect how we play them live. I didn't ever have a sense of 'freedom' rather than a sense that it was necessary to record in this way due to budget and time constraints. More recently we recorded in a more traditional way, in a studio with a producer and I felt far more free and able to express myself musically.
Alec: Agree with Rob there! Time constraints (we all work, I'm a Dad etc) and budget contraints meant there was a lot of pressure to get the drums right when recording and do it quickly. Whereas in the studio (for songs we haven't released yet) there was much more focus on creative exploration.
Matt: How do you translate something so layered and textural into a live setting?
Sean: It's taken a while to find the balance - often you are at the mercy of venue limitations at our level, so there's been a bit of compromise in our expectations of how 'clear' everything will be. That said, you want it to be a bit different live too anyway. We took some time to work out the simplest, most reliable way of playing the backing tracks live and - while I can see it evolving - we've got a bulletproof system right now with the laptop sending a click and samples to our own in-ear headphones as well as the samples to the live desk. Sound engineers are usually pretty happy to see we've got our shit together on that side!
Rob: We really do spend time thinking about how things will translate live, how can we give an audience member the best 'value' show we can. Sean came up with an ingenious method of utilising ableton software to allow us to bring a lot of the texture to our live show without compromising on the 'live' elements, the guitars, bass, drums and vocals of a traditional rock band. We use our own personal in ear monitoring to hear the metronome and tracks whilst also making us of the FOH monitors for the rest. Some of the live experience can be lost when a band is playing with a metronome live and we work hard to ensure that doesn't happen.
Alec: For the most part we try to make sure that the tracks don't lose their impact when played live, which means we rework some of them slightly to hit just as hard when played live. To Nothing, for instance, is heavier live. We still have the synth and samples coming through, but I play heavier and louder and Sean's guitar is sharper and crunchier, trying to reach that 'wall of noise' vibe we like so much.
We throw in extra bits, extend sections and sometimes just jam a bit more live. We want the people that come to see us to be gripped!
Matt: What’s your favourite swear word… and what makes it elite tier? * Language Advisory :) *
Sean: Fuck' is the most common, but it has to be 'C**t' really doesn't it? The C is so aggressive at the start, and you can really spit it out which, if the situation has warranted the use of throwing 'cunt' out there, you're probably going to. I like getting creative though with swearing though - 'Fuckmanaut' and 'vapid bag of pig dicks' are ones I've thrown out in the past. It contradicts the c bomb theory but there's also something really satisfying about adding something with multiple syllables after 'Fuck', like 'you fucking sack of c**t'.
Rob: Vittu. I am a Finnish speaker and it is the Finnish word for fuck. Great for when you stub your toe or get cut up in traffic.
Alec: Is there anything better than a really well placed 'c**t'. Horrible word but it packs a punch.
Matt: And in the spirit of the band name, what’s the most satisfying piece of “harsh language” ever committed to song?
Sean: Nazi Punks Fuck Off' by Dead Kennedys, for obvious reasons.
Rob: The Manic Street Preachers have a song called Me and Stephen Hawking and it has a line in it that goes "Oh the joy, me and Stephen Hawking, we laugh. We missed the sex revolution, when we failed the physical". It's not Harsh in a sweary sense but it's a hell of a picture.
Alec: This is not the greatest use of harsh language in a song, but it's one of my favourites. Dry Cleaning's 'Goodnight' features the lyric 'Don't touch me, you stole my childhood CDs you fuck'. Delivered by Florence Shaw with wonderfully British bite.
Matt: Has anyone ever told you to tone the name down, or is that kind of the point?
Sean: No not really, but even if they did we wouldn't. All band names are bullshit anyway!
Matt: Gun to your head: Hudson, Hicks, Ripley or Vasquez / who are you in a crisis?
Sean: My head says Hicks - supportive, analytical but controlled. But the reality is probably closer to Hudson...panicky, frustrated and loud but then snapping out of it and locking in...
Alec: Yep like Sean says, would love to think I'm Ripley or Hicks but I'm probably Hudson.
Matt: If Time Won’t Wait For You had to include one more Aliens quote, which one would it be and where would you drop it?
Sean: I often say "they mostly come at night. Mostly". But it's probably Ripley saying "You know Burke, I don't know which species is worse. You don't see them fucking each other for a goddamn percentage". It's probably why that film is timeless. Even several hundred years in the future, people can and still will be arseholes to each other. I think it would go over the instrumental bit in the middle of imperial.bedrooms quite nicel (just after the guitar harmonics).
Rob: I thought Sigourney delivered the line "Did IQs just drop sharply while I was away?" Perhaps that line cut directly from the film would slot in nicely after 'theresalwaysabiggerinterlude'.
Alec: Ah see this is where I get all high and mighty and state that I prefer Alien over Aliens!
Would love to put in the line 'I can't lie to you about your chances, but you have my sympathies' from Alien.
Otherwise it's 'GAME OVER MAN' from Aliens.
Matt: Describe the album using only three words.
Sean: Optimistic. Realistic. Complete
Rob: abour of love
Alec: Melodic. Noisy. Riffs.
Matt: What’s the most “Harsh Language” thing that’s happened to you as a band so far?
Sean: Rob likes telling this story - on the day of the Platinum Jubilee we did a photo shoot in Hackney Wick by the river. We'd had a few drinks, and a few more, and then frankly too much. I can't remember this but apparently I carried a tray of drinks out to the outside tables and, in front of everyone, stacked it beautifully from the bottom of the stairs - flying head first into a guys crotch, like an olympic diver. Not my finest hour but hilarious for everyone who witnessed it. To be honest the name suggests a much crassy, punkier vibe than the geeky, introverted neuro-spicy reality of us!
Rob: We were playing a gig in Hackney once, supporting our friends Saxophone (band) and there was a nice crowd there who weren't dancing quite as much as I'd have wanted them to. I remember shouting at them during our song Imperial Bedrooms to "DANCE C**TS!" which really didn't go down too well. We were in the little green room behind the stage afterwards and Alec just said "I think it would be good if we don't call the crowd c**ts again". I have thus far honoured my promise to him.
Alec: Sean and Rob being called Ant and Dec by some heckler at our first ever gig... No disrespect to Ant & Dec but that was pretty harsh. They handled it brilliantly though, pretty sure an in-unison 'fuck you' was uttered.
Matt: QUICKFIRE ROUND (ONE-WORD / NO THINKING)
Sean: Rob: Alec:
Loud or quiet? | Loud | Quiet | Loud |
Analogue or digital? | Analogue | Analogue | Analogue |
Hope or honesty? | Hope | Honesty | Honesty |
Control or chaos? | Control | Control | Control |
Rock or Pop? | Rock | Rock | Rock |
Stay or go? | Go | GO! | Go |
