You know when a band starts off as one song recommendation and then somehow ends up becoming part of your regular life? That was The Reytons for me.
I was on a proper Jamie Webster binge when Amazon Music decided to throw Slice of Lime my way, and fair play to it, that algorithm knew exactly what it was doing. One track turned into a deep dive. Then came the YouTube videos, the tour vlogs, the messing about, the song teases, the album hints, the lot. Before long, I was fully in.
That is the thing with The Reytons. They do not really arrive politely. They sort of barge in, make themselves at home, and before you know it, you are waiting for the next release like it is your own family member dropping news in the group chat.
Now album number four is on the way. It is called A Love Letter To A Broken Town, and based on what we have heard so far, it already sounds like another big step from a band who have grafted for everything they have got.
A band that feel earned
What I have always liked about The Reytons is that they feel earned.
Not manufactured. Not over-polished. Not one of those bands where everything feels like it has been focus-grouped to death before it gets anywhere near your ears. These lot have built things the hard way, and that does make a difference. You can feel it in how they carry themselves, how they speak to fans, and how much pride there is in where they come from.
That matters.
It makes the whole thing feel more real. They are not trying to sell you some glossy version of authenticity. They just feel like a band that knows who they are, knows who they are doing it for, and is not interested in pretending to be anything else.
They also do a lot beyond the music itself, with The Reytons Grassroots Foundation showing they are not just about shifting records and selling out venues, but also about putting something back into the communities around them. That side of things only makes them easier to root for.
A band that knows how to have a laugh
Another thing that helps is that they do not take themselves too seriously.
That probably sounds like a small thing, but it really is not. There are loads of bands that can write a decent tune and stand moodily in a photo. Fewer can actually feel like real people while doing it. The Reytons have always seemed like a band who enjoy the daft side of it all as much as the serious side.
You see it in the videos, the tour content, and the general messing about that makes following them feel like more than just waiting around for the next single. It never feels forced either. It just feels like them.
And that balance works. Because when the songs kick in, and they do get serious, it lands harder.
Seeing them live only made it click more
I was fortunate enough to catch The Reytons supporting Jamie Webster at Sefton Park in Liverpool a couple of years ago, and the second that first guitar chord hit, I already knew what was coming. Red Smoke.
And from there, they just had it.
The energy was there straight away. The sound was huge. The songs landed. They did not feel like a band just there to fill time before the headline act. They felt like a band capable of leaving a proper mark on the day, and they absolutely did that for me.
It only made me fall for them more.
Because once you have seen a band properly own a stage like that, it is a lot easier to buy into whatever comes next.
The early singles already sound promising
So far, The Reytons have given us Jukebox and Busker’s Paradise, and both of them feel like exactly the sort of start you want from a new album campaign.
Jukebox is packed with nostalgia, but not in a soft, sentimental way. It feels more like a look back at communities that used to have a bit more life in them. It has that sense of remembering something fondly while knowing it is not quite the same anymore. It feels like a statement. The Reytons are back, and they have got something to say.
Then Busker’s Paradise comes in and builds on that really nicely. It has that sharp social observation they do so well, taking everyday struggle and everyday people and turning it into something anthemic without overdoing it. There is a bit of grit to it, a bit of heart, and a bit of swagger too.
That is what makes this album feel exciting already.
Not because every band says their latest album is the best one yet. They all say that. But with The Reytons, it feels believable because the songs released so far do sound like a band that knows exactly what they want this record to be.
Why this one feels worth shouting about
This is not me pretending I have heard the whole album and can already rank it against everything else they have done. I have not.
This is more of a shout-out to a band I have followed for a while, one I have seen live, and one that feels like it has genuinely earned this next moment. They have built something by doing things their own way, keeping people invested, having a laugh along the way, and still making sure the songs hit where they need to.
That is easy to get behind.
Something is refreshing about a band that can be funny, self-aware, community-minded, and still knock out tracks that actually make you feel something. A lot of bands manage one or two of those things. The Reytons seem to be aiming for the lot.
Final thoughts on The Reytons’ upcoming album
A Love Letter To A Broken Town is not here yet, so we will save the full judgement for when the whole thing finally lands.
But from what we have heard so far, this already feels like an album worth being excited about. Jukebox and Busker’s Paradise both suggest a band that still has plenty to say, and still knows exactly how to say it in a way that feels rooted in real people, real places, and real lives.
For a band I first stumbled across by accident, The Reytons have become one that is very easy to keep rooting for.
July cannot come soon enough.
Yeahhhh buddy.
Want to see what other independent artists we’ve been checking out? Click right here.
