Malady - All Pressure, No Diamonds

Transforming the minutiae of everyday life into dancefloor-ready rhythms, London four-piece Malady create glittering soundscapes punctured with the sounds of their city. Inspired by the brutalist beauty of London, ‘All Pressure, No Diamonds’ is a kaleidoscopic glimpse into the band’s creative partnership. Leading with the infectious dance grooves of ‘Hyperreal’, Percy Junior Cobbinah’s vocals melt into the deep grooves and jagged synths, delving into a feeling of living perpetually online. Detailing contemporary life with ease, the outfit agitate about “being past their prime” on ‘Fools Errand’. Matching their anxiety with jittery electronics and searing sirens, Percy frets over life passing him by: “All I do is wait in line / Waiting on the things that could never be mine”. This narrative flows throughout this debut EP, as he wrestles with life’s melancholy on ‘Black Dog’: “I find the black dog always bites my behind.” The indifference of the city can be isolating at times. The pulsating ‘Pressure Builds’ hustles through a system that is “set up to work against you”. Among the ominous synths, though, there are soft glimmers of hope as the electronics dance across the track’s surface. It may be all pressure, no diamonds, but Malady are still going to try and find the joy of life.