If you have been following those Stoke noisy boys BathTub since they launched their new era recently, you will know the first listen of any new song of theirs is going to be massive. Never is that more true than with Oiled Up the duo’s third song of recent times, which follows the huge relaunch track Introduction released in the faded tag days of 2020, and the magnificent follow up Fallin’ Thru. BathTub have atMOSHphere bar none.

This time Oiled Up is a blast of confident swagger and a slightly uncomfortable lyric. Take a look at this bit:

“I WANNA WATERBOARD YOUR CONSCIENCE

USING ONLY THE FINEST STRAINS OF BITUMIN

COME TAKE A DIP IN MY SEA OF DIESEL

SO I CAN SET IT ALIGHT WITH A MATCH AND WATCH YOU SCREAM“

Before you start to look out for a young tattooed Stoke punk with a glint in his eye and a petrol can in his hand (OK, there might just be a few of them about on the streets of Stoke to be fair), the band assure me that the use of different oil by-products are simply a metaphor within an imagined tale of obsession.

It’s wonderful how the mind wanders; Olly originally scribbled the lyric on the back of unwanted till receipts while working as a cashier a couple of years ago, then finished off the song at the end of last year. Thankfully, Olly put those scraps of dark obsession into his pocket rather than leave them on the counter for the manager to read and get very scared. I don’t think I could hang onto something as good as Oiled Up for long; he must have been Ollyed Up in fact.

So coupled with the lyrics, is a beaty 130 bpm, and the customary drum and bass combo with Olly’s powerful, confident thrusting vocals overtop. Brandon and his meaty drum work makes that hard flow and has the pace and grace of a Ducati 916.  Assuming they don’t work for Esso, fans of the likes of cleopatrick and Death from Above 1979 would be very happy in Bathtub’s company.

Bathtub are a band I’ve only got into since the lockdown era, and indeed they only formed as a duo a little while before that, so I’m excited about catching this band live at some point. I think there’s going to be some memorable times going down with Bathtub. The band currently have dates lined up at Stoke Underground on Friday 9^th July, and with Haggard Cat at the same place on September 9^th.

Chris R

* Images are provided by the band or taken from their socials