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Partisan Way

Partisan Way gave hope to the hopeless romantics in their indie synth-pop sugar rush, I Know What You’ll Say

It may have been almost two years since we heard Partisan Way, but there was no forgetting the artisanal sonic sugar that emanated from their blissfully affectionate indie-pop hit, Borrow Me.

In 2023, they’re back on the airwaves with their single I Know What You’ll Say, which starts in the middle ground of The Beatles and Elliott Smith before there is a smooth transition into a synth-kissed summer bop, which celebrates the agonising pain of pre-emptive anxiety before a romantic proclamation.

Ultimately, I Know What You’ll Say is a waltz-y indie psych-pop invitation to embrace the beauty of vulnerability. The entire single is a testament to that very beauty; hopeless romantics may even gain some hope by the time the big synth outro comes around, following the honeyed high vocal lines atop the pop instrumentals that meld classic and contemporary songwriting. Wayne Coyne himself couldn’t have hit those notes better.

Just when we thought we couldn’t have any more predilection towards the indie outfit fronted by Dan Tierney, I Know What You’ll Say, in all its polyphonic synthy glory, allowed our soft spot to become infinitely softer under the duress of the unassured soul in the vocals.

Stream I Know What You’ll Say on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Partisan Way deliver polyphonic indie-pop bliss in ‘Borrow Me’.

Partisan Way started as a remote indie-pop lockdown project in 2020; on the basis of their debut album, Show Don’t Tell, we hope the UK-based outfit set its sights on plenty more than conquering more than just the digital realm.

The sweetest earworm on the album is the first single, Borrow Me. If you poured some sugar on The Vaccines, the sticky-sweet result wouldn’t be all too far away from the uplifting piano-led melodies and the even more vibrant synth lines.

While they call it like it is in the kind of toxic relationship dynamics that you can’t get enough of through the scathingly sharp-witted lyrics, the vibrant progressions successfully capture the haze that affection can leave you in.

I don’t make Mansun comparisons lightly, but Borrow Me hit the evocative spot just as well as I Can Only Disappoint You.

Borrow Me is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast