Run, WALK - Health

There’s something unbelievably sad about reviewing an album from a band who you know are splitting up imminently. After their set at 2000 Trees Festival, Run Walk are calling it a day, which makes their debut album all the more worth listening to.

Oh, except for one thing. The title. Run Walk’s first, and only, it would appear, album is called ☤. It was okay when Ed Sheeran used a symbol, because we knew what a + was called, but who knows off-hand what a caduceus is? For those not in the know, it’s the stick Hermes carried around in Greek mythology, as well as being mostly known as the symbol of medicine in North America, because they got it confused with another stick a couple of centuries ago. Idiots. And why does that automatically mean the album’s called ‘Health’?

But anyway. From the sounds of things, the album seems to know how important it is too, as ‘Intro’ begins with a poignant, almost melancholic guitar rhythm. It builds for over two minutes before really hitting its stride, as the speed picks up and the riffs sound triumphant, setting the tone for an album that the Run Walk guys really should be proud of.

‘Blank Canvas’ has a terrific off-kilter background to it, over which Matt’s frantic, strained screams work wonders. ‘Out Of The Blue’ does a similar thing, but with a much heavier soundscape, proving just how damn good the duo are at doing what they do. Clocking in at just under half an hour, it’s easy to say that there isn’t enough of ‘Health’ (or ☤, if you’d rather) but what there is to listen to is masterful, with a mixture of sounds all linking up to one great album.

Another highlight of the album is the fantastically driven ‘I Don’t Know What The Real World Is Like’. There are countless kids who are going to hear the screams of “I don’t know what the real world is like / and I have run away from it my whole life”, and suddenly feel understood. Which is what they need, right? See guys, we need you to stay together for the kids. Please?

Things get space-y in ‘/////’, a short instrumental interlude before closer ‘Under A Rock’. It’s heavy-hitting, and being the longest track of the album at just shy of five minutes ends ‘Health’ pretty well. It wouldn’t be fair to mark this album review down just because we know there isn’t going to be a follow-up, would it? No, I suppose not. With only 100 copies of vinyl being pressed, you’d better hurry if you want to get your grubby little mitts on one.