“My thoughts go / Ah-ah-ah-ah / Doo-do-doo-do” – how’s that for a chorus hook? It’s hardly lyrical genius from STONE frontman Fin Power, but the top line of ‘My Thoughts Go’ – the lead single from their debut LP ‘Fear Life For A Lifetime’ – is both mighty and cathartic, capturing the headfuckery of merely existing as a young adult in 2024. Proclaiming themselves the “underground voice for the lost youth” upon speaking to NME in 2021, such themes are ever-present throughout their discography to date; a foundational principle behind the band.
Hailing from Liverpool, the quartet (completed by guitarist Elliot Gil, bassist Sarah Surrage and drummer Alex Smith) have exploded onto the UK live scene over the past two years, bulldozing their way through tour after tour, from numerous sold-out headline runs to support slots with the likes of Yungblud, Sam Fender and Inhaler. With high-octane punk tracks like ‘Waste’ and ‘I Let Go’ in their locker, their two ‘Punkadonk’ EPs (2022, 2023) showcased both fury and vulnerability. It’s the latter which they lean towards in their debut album ‘Fear Life For A Lifetime’, straying from their earlier balls-to-the-wall approach.
Produced half the world away in Vermont with Rich Costey [HAIM, Biffy Clyro], the LP retains its fundamental British essence, through the combination of Power’s compelling accent and its sonics: it’s pure Britpop throughout ‘Queen’ and ‘Roses’. Even though the former feels like it belongs on a DMA’S record, the latter has enough lyrical poignancy to cut through the layers, with Power touching on the challenges of coming to terms with your own mental health (“Today’s the day I promise I’m gonna change / Ask for help and I’m handed a razorblade”).
Not completely ditching the frantic indie-punk, ‘Train’ and ‘Save Me’ pick up the baton of their early material, with punchy, poised production coexisting with the disorientation of the former: “I swear I’m living in The Matrix”. However, moments in ‘Fear Life For A Lifetime’ find STONE at their most sombre, as well. ‘Hotel’ is exquisite and dreamlike, while ‘Save Yourself’ is a heartbreaking snapshot into feelings of anxiety and inadequacy: “Get out of my life before I ruin yours.” It’s a titanic, heavy-hitting end to the album, and proof that the mellow, heartfelt style is one that STONE can indeed execute.
Front-loaded with its three singles, the change of course in ‘Fear Life For A Lifetime’ ensures it closes on a colossus of emotion. Sure to be lapped up by their ever-growing, cult-like young fanbase, this stellar debut album will only add to the case that this is a band with heaps of ambition, primed to level up while staying true to their indie-punk roots.
