Glasgow four-piece The Marches explore the pull of destructive patterns on ‘The Habit’, the latest track from their forthcoming debut EP Faultline. Centred on returning to something you know will hurt you, the song captures that uneasy space between recognising the cycle and still struggling to break free from it.
Dark, grunge-tinged guitars immediately command attention, bringing shades of Soundgarden and Alice In Chains to The Marches’ melodic rock sound, with the faintest trace of folk rock lurking around its edges. A recurring guitar riff helps hold the tension in place as the vocal moves convincingly from quiet confession towards something increasingly resolute. The arrangement gradually gathers weight before a satisfyingly expressive guitar solo provides its late-song payoff.
There’s no accompanying video, but ‘The Habit’ already conjures a suitably dark and moody world of its own. Rather than making its theme of repetition overly literal, The Marches allow the recurring riff and steadily building tension to suggest a cycle that’s difficult to escape. Heavy enough to hit hard but never sacrificing melody, it’s a strong glimpse of what Faultline has in store.
