New Music: Wynona Bleach – Religion

With their Animal Style album set for release in May, Belfast quartet Wynona Bleach show they have lost none of their fire on new track Religion.

Wynona Bleach chose to pray in a different way, hitting something carnal and hedonistic as they do so. The track comes out in the wake of a US tour. Maybe that period in America has impacted the high-octane tone of Religion. While it does have the buzzy energy of Ash – who they have toured with – and the fuck-you aesthetic of Sprints, it sees Wynona Bleach find an upfront place for classic hardcore in their sound.

That pushes the main body of the song in the direction of Hüsker Dü and Minutemen but still has a core that retains the band’s indie and post-punk roots. Animal Style was recorded in a disused ballroom above a working men’s club in West Belfast, which, combined with time in America, might have helped create the live and lived-in feel of Religion.

They’ve disclosed about the track, “[Religion] is about seeing someone you find so attractive; the dirty thoughts make you wanna to find god.” Animal Style is out on the 29th of May via Fierce Panda Records in the UK and Propeller Sound Recordings in the US.

Religion and previous singles from Animal Style can be streamed on Bandcamp, Apple Music, and Spotify. Connect with Wynona Bleach on Facebook and Instagram for all the freshest album updates.

Header photo by Anna Burnett