There’s a comforting entwined sound within this latest April Tapes release, April 2024’s Cactus Flower.

This track has late night mood stamped all over it and a lovely sense of dark and light – a moody brooding opener which widens out into an unexpectedly bright chorus.

Like the namesake Cactus Flower, there’s a sense of a hard impenetrable outer shell and then you suddenly come across that delicate, bright, colourful flower.

Lead vocalist on this track comes from the pure voiced Bethan Evans, where her vocals come across honest and as open as the sky. There’s a bit of a nod towards Dolores with that crystal clarity.

Here the lyrics seems to tell secrets about a chaotic abrasive relationship, and where the couple get drunk to be together, perhaps to ruin their next day brain, just to grab a little of that Cactus nectar together.

April Tapes hail from bendy spire city, or Chesterfield, and comprise of Max Stokes, vocals and guitar, Bethan on vocals and Bass, Angus Marnock on drums and Henry Wright on lead guitar.

The band name comes from a computer folder that Max had squirrelled away a couple of demos on, which finally became the band’s first two singles.

This third track Cactus Flower follows on in the slightly dark feel of their predecessors but also show a flourishing back to the future 1980’s gothic promise.

* words by tiggerligger

* images the band’s own