Leeds rockers About-Face cut right through the noise with something so much more powerful and honest. Their new single, "Not Been Back," is a defiant follow-up to last year's early-2025 breakout Too Old For Fun, and it's no-holds-barred. Tough-hearted realism and a healthy amount of emotional reflection form the basis for the song, which plunges headfirst into the experience of coming home to find that it's no longer the place you once knew.
Helmed by Ali Chant (who has given an atmospheric edge to Yard Act, PJ Harvey, and Soccer Mommy, among others, "Not Been Back" flaunts a stylistic heft that's as moody as it is magnetic. The production breathes, leaving room for each layer from the earthy guitar tones to the sharp bite of the rhythm section. But what stands out is the soulful vocals, ragged with exhaustion, heartbreak, and a touch of anger.
The band takes us on a walk through a hometown altered by neglect. Lines like "bags for drugs" and "metal canisters on the church's lawn" aren't meant to romanticize the past; they haunt the present. And yet, just as the doom kicks in, the groovy chorus lands like a lifeline, pulling us back into hope, or at least some connection.
There's a very British and universal quality to the way "Not Been Back" addresses this theme. It's about place but also, more than that, about belonging, loss, and disillusionment. It's a song for anyone who's returned home only to find it's changed, or maybe they have. For anyone desperate to experience that vibe in a live setting, the band plays 'The Lending Room' in Leeds on 12 April 2025. This one will surely land even more forcefully in person.
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