8 years in the making, Discover Effortless Living is the debut album from quartet BULL and their first release since signing to EMI in 2020. The band hail from York, a place not known for producing a glut of breakthrough talent - google tells me that Bull are the first band to sign with a major label since Shed Seven all the way back in 1993!

BULL have done it the hard way too, having formed in 2011 as a creative outlet for Tom Beer (vocals/guitar) and Dan Lucas (guitar) with the additions of Tom Gabbattiss (drums) and Kai West (bass) later. BULL inhabits that distinctly American college-rock genre, citing 90’s influences that range from Pavement to Pixies and Yo La Tengo. Their twitter account describes them as “The English Beatles” - a tongue in cheek depiction, but BULL’s use of vocal harmony and instrumentation certainly nods towards the Fab Four. They write comfortable, groove-oriented guitar music, carefully crafted vocal melodies backed up by rich and warm guitars that don’t shy away from expressive solos.

Album opener, ‘Bedroom Floor’ showcases Beer’s vocal dexterity as he wrestles with self doubt and frustration at the writing process in the catchy chorus refrain  “I hate the sound of what comes out/ open wide your bitter mouth/ frustration to get things done/ overrun but not finished”. The track ambles in a cruisy 2/4 time. On first listen it is a laid back, simple and charming number but further listens reveal intelligent flourishes and subtle additional percussion and backup vocals. This approach sets the style for much of Discover Effortless Living, which could be mistaken for a soundtrack to an American indie rom-com. 

‘Eugene’ is an album standout, a balanced swing-infused track with tempo changes and gang vocal harmonies demonstrating the band’s considerable musicianship and song-writing ability.  Beer’s vocals are flawless which has the track swaying effortlessly from a soft lackadaisical half-whisper to a confident swagger. He traverses from a husky monotone that is not unlike Elliot Smith, to an indie croon, akin to Julian Casablancas or perhaps even Johnny Borrell.

Track 6, Eddie’s Cap is the biggest departure from the comfortable, self-assured pop-rock that has gone before. It follows a less traditional format with the dynamics, chord voicings reminiscent of a Pixies track. The guitars are used to punctuate a simple driving rhythm section with angular dischord and feedback. It’s the most interesting track on the album but it seems a little out of place, sandwiched between more traditional song structures.

The guitar tones on the album are of note, switching from luscious cleans and rich tight distortion. Their traditional format pop-rock tunes are made distinct by subtle effects, additional instrumentation and intelligent guitar solos. This is best demonstrated in album closer ‘Disco Living’ - the track name derived from the album title. Here an upbeat acoustic guitar and percussion-led rhythm section follows a familiar path before erupting into a joyful guitar duel between a fuzzy lead and an African soukous-style accompaniment. 

Discover Effortless Living is intelligent and fun. It draws you in with pop charm and charismatic songs but beneath that surface sheen is a depth and originality to the song-writing and production that is rare among contemporary British bands. To summarise, BULL have delivered an exciting collection of songs that deserves a large audience, if they can translate this to their forthcoming live shows they will find themselves at the forefront of British indie / Alt-rock.

Review by Dan Ryan