Treeboy & Arc - Natural Habitat

Clue Records

The first full-length from Leeds based band Treeboy & Arc is packaged under the banner of 'Natural Habitat' - the place where you feel most at home; in your own skin. Introspective, sardonic, acerbic and often times something akin to sweet, the follow-up to 2021's 'Life Preserver' EP - a promising project which captivated attention and accumulated a buzz - tends to get up in the midst of getting down. It's not an easy feat to let yourself go under the weight of a snarling gaze. The Leeds lads fit like a glove in to the art rock/post-punk resurgence of recent times.

Referred to as 'album two' by the band, the first iteration of album 'number one' was re-worked and moulded into a more up-to-date rendering; kudos to those that backtrack and find a more fitting path to travel down. Finding yourself back at square one is a frightening thing to have to face, but its better than walking the way of dissatisfaction. Treeboy & Arc consist of James Kay on bass and vocal duties, Ben Morgan on guitar and vocal duties, Sammy Robinson on synths, George Townsend on guitar and Isaac Turner on drums. They come together to form a well-oiled and fine-tuned art rock outfit - groove-laden and adorned with agitated goodness; tip-toeing on an existential edge at all times.

Asking questions to which there are no answers. Revolving in the abyss of uncertainty. Attracting the bitterness of life with every step. It seems, to me, like the Treeboy camps natural habitat is a state of apprehensive and rhythmically catatonic revelry. With two lead singers and two lyricists, Treeboy & Arc are a mixed bag of treats; you never really know what to expect. From the witty to the downright cynical, a knife-edge is walked between the sweet and ultimately sour ; a lot of the time it's in good nature. A bit of well-mannered malaise never hurt no one.

And still I wait.