After the year-end list-worthy albums Dead Meat (2023) and Cotton Crown (2025), you know what to expect from The Tubs: the music of this Cardiff-raised/London-based sonic circus is jangly and angular, melodic and melancholic, folk-inspired and frenetic. Or: misery sounding irresistible. It is indeed all applicable to their third full-length album, but Hard Life is richer and more expansive than before, with fiddle, keys, and harmonies weaving through the twelve new songs, reaching even higher.
On top of the chiming melodies and compelling hooks, the lyrics paint a self-portrait of being caught between wanting to be loved and learning to live without it, between wallowing in old wounds and finally having the courage to move on: “Some people say losing love is like a dagger to your heart // Well I wouldn’t know // ‘Cause when you cut me I go straight back to the start'” (from Stoop To Me). There are also clever references to challenges within the band (“Cause we can’t stay in England // And never get sober”) and outside of it (“Say you’re gonna join The TSG // Well, it’s your life”), so you will understand that it is a spellbinding listen in that regard as well.
Although these guys don’t seem capable of writing a bad tune themselves, this time they also opt for a remarkable cover: they dug up Do Yourself a Favor (written by Jesse Johnson and Pepé Willie) from Prince’s vault, an unexpected combination that strangely enough works out well. All in all, The Tubs have carved out a unique spot for themselves in today’s music landscape, and this is another triumph of crooked smiles and the kind of wit that makes the darkness glow. Can’t wait to see them live again soon, a feeling reinforced by the telling video below.
I’m almost getting an Any Trouble vibe on tunes like “Who’s Gonna Love You Now.”