Single Review: 'The Opportunist' by Porcelain

If the warm, full-bodied sound of an acoustic guitar at the start of Newcastle band Porcelain’s new single ‘The Opportunist’ suggests an easy-going, cheerful track to come, the effect doesn’t last long. A few seconds later, up steps an almighty guitar riff and ferocious drumming that recalls early Arctic Monkeys at their gnarliest. It’s a thrilling, take-no-prisoners introduction for a band with songwriting and production quality that far outdoes their status as relative newcomers to the Newcastle alt rock scene. 

Vocalist Curtis Longstaff is less Alex Turner and more Thom Yorke with his disaffected, slightly woozy mutterings of “This time I mean it when I say goodbye,” which provide a sinister contrast to the punchy guitars that surround him. “I’m taking back what’s mine,” he says menacingly, as the groove slips around uncomfortably beneath him, eventually engulfing his vocals entirely. 

Really, though, ‘The Opportunist’ puts guitars centre stage over vocals. The wordless chorus puts a screeching rhythm guitar ruthlessly high in the mix, and the riff sounds harsh and exhilarating, like stepping into an ice-cold shower. Adam Tibke has a busy five minutes on drums, thrashing away on the snare and throwing in more than a couple attention-grabbing fills. 

‘The Opportunist’s finest moments come in the final two minutes, when the band ditch the formalities of the standard verse-chorus structure and go all-in on an extended jam. The resulting interlocking guitar solo proves Porcelain has brains behind their musical brawn, the intricate, almost classical harmonic progressions evoking a well-tuned Muse composition. 

With its inventive structure and impeccable production, ‘The Opportunist’ proves Porcelain to be a cut above your standard fledgling indie rock band. Improbably, this is only the band’s third single. Stay tuned - even more gripping rock compositions are bound to be forthcoming. 

The Opportunist releases on November 15th.