Listening to Taxi With Strangers and their latest single Voelas while self isolating on the hottest day of the year so far, is actually blessed. I’m being good, so I’m sat in the sunshine with a virtual beer, a virtual spliff, an actual glass of ginger cordial and I’m more than content in the rays and the sounds. Expect a bit of a ramble rather than a review dear reader. Sorry.

Voelas isn’t actually the latest elf in a spin off Netflix Lord of the Rings series but is named after one of the “Welsh Streets” in Toxteth, Liverpool. Voelas is an old stately home in Conwy.

The song is inspired by the band’s guitarist Jake Bellemy and his regular visits to the street to meet up with his girlfriend. Jake came up with the killer riff and worked with lead singer David Morton-Jones before lockdown to draw it together.

Of course, those Liverpool visits were clearly accompanied by large nights out, live music, seeing the dawn a bit too often, and hangover restorative lazy coffees the next day. So the theme is pretty perfect to evoke those cosy fun times with a new city (and a wonderful one at that) to explore. Ha, strangely my beloved also spent time living in Toxteth albeit almost a generation ago.

Musically, Taxi With Strangers remind me of Dog Is Dead, a band I adored a few years back and was convinced would be huge (funnily lead vocalist Rob Milton works and writes very closely with Easy Life these days). Two Devils is still one of my absolutely favourite songs 10 years on.  

It’s difficult to put into words but with Taxi With Strangers, there’s a lovely mix of laid back but it also has a strong purpose and direction. Solid mindfulness.

I do admire the slightly lazy drawl of David and then the tight, full of notes, busy musical landscape behind. If you liked the Taxi With Strangers most hit track Time, you will be very comfortable with Voelas. Taxi With Strangers are busy drawing up a classy set’s worth of bangers here.  

The Lancaster/Morecombe based Taxi With Strangers have a sell out gig in Liverpool on 23 July, and I’m sure will be sharing other live opportunities as quickly as you can shake a rats tail (as my mum would say).

Chris R

* Images taken from the band’s social media