BRAND SPANKIN' NEW: "Heavy Jelly"- Soft Play REVIEW

When the band F.K.A Slaves announced they were changing their name to something a bit more cute and cuddly, it sent some fans into…erm- if you pardon the Live Lounge pun- “Shutdown”. The comments that came created their comeback single, “Punk’s Dead”, a raucous 3 minute rant released in 2023, complete with a cameo from national treasure and former ‘Thatter, Sir Robert of Williams. We @ Ver Society named it as one of our tracks of the year last year so we couldn’t bleddy wait when they announced it would make an appearance on their fourth album, “Heavy Jelly”, which is just as fabby as it is frantic. 

With a band named Soft Play naming their album “Heavy Jelly”, it does read “children’s birthday party”. And, in some way, they’re a bit like that. Screaming and sweaty kids darting about a technicolour plastic palace (or erm…the band on stage) , S Club 7 and Steps at full blast (thank you Glastonbury for confirming that they STILL come on to Vengaboys) and parents watching on with horror as the chaos unfolds…which is exactly what mine did when I played Sockets for the first time in the car back in 2017. 

It's a right shortie this album too, clocking in at a STAGGERING 29 mins 24 secs. There’s no chinrubbery interludes or 5 minute experimental soundscapes or any of that lark. In fact, it’s quite the opposite and possibly their heaviest, most direct n "in-yer-face" yet. I say this, but the album quite literally starts with a sample of "All Things Bright & Beautiful", very Church Of England primary core, I’m sure you’ll agree. BUT NOT FOR LONG- it doesn’t take long for the screaming to start and you’ll realise this is very much a Soft Play album. They’re well and truly back and as bonkers as ever. I mean, there’s a track on this album called “Worms On Tarmac”, a top tier title, with even more top tier lyrics (“Shit look comes a dog!” is a personal highlight, it really spoke to me) and some top top tier helium usage during the chorus. As per, they’re shouting about society, with themes ranging from gym lads (“Mirror Muscles”), Social Media (“Isaac Is Typing…”) and life in shitty British towns (“Act Violently”)- which is how I imagine the crowds will act when this gets played live. 

Perhaps the biggest surprise, unless you’re a proper eager beaver and have been listening to the singles as they’ve been coming, is the final track, “Everything & Nothing” which is where Soft Play go a bit…erm…well…”soft”. In all seriousness (regular readers of DPMS will know, we don’t do “seriousness” very well) this is quite a beautiful track for Ver Play, as they reflect on the loss of a pal and the effects of grief, swapping the fuzz for a bitta folk with strings n things. Never thought I’d hear a mandolin on a Soft Play record but here we are. I say they stick bongo’s on the next ‘un. 

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