Have you ever woke up and thought ‘this is the perfect day for a bit of U2’, but then slapped yourself upon realisation that Bono is more than a little bit unbearable? Well good news: Jake Evans is about to release second single ‘This Is Life’, and it’s the perfect way to remedy this situation.

With opening guitars sounding right out of U2’s ‘I Will Follow’, and a driving bassline courtesy of cheese wizard and Blur bassist Alex James, the song starts as it means to go on: right in your face. And it carries on well, eventually building pace to launch into a blistering and explosive chorus of stadium-rock proportions. Combine this with the Bono-esque vocal delivery and it’s easy to see why I’ve made the comparison.

And that’s the core of this track. It’s right out of the pages of early U2, with enough influence from all things indie-rock since then to sound very contemporary, and no Bono to ooze self-righteous asshole vibes all over the place. It’s sure to be massive – I’ve already found myself lost in the labyrinth of guitars for hours since first hearing it. And I look forward to your company.

The track drops on June 16. You can listen to it and view the video below.

9/10