Single Review: Milkshed.- Just Wanna Give

Influenced by the likes of Queens Of The Stone Age, Nirvana and The White Stripes, Milkshed. are giving grunge and alternative rock a facelift. The three-piece made up of Cam Gallaher, Jake Tulley & Alf Grey crafted their amped up sound (and their name) out of a disused milking parlour in the depths of Southwest England. The album artwork for their singles and E. P’s paint nocturnal scenes and the more you listen to milkshed. the more you get a sense of what some of their night sessions might have been like at the milking parlour.

Scroll through their social media and you’ll see the band throwing the kitchen sink at it. Their bold and incisive style caught the attention of Grammy-winning sound engineer Adrian Bushby (Foo Fighters, Muse) who worked with the band to complete their debut E.P, Mud, released in 2024.

Since, milkshed. have been supported by EARMILK, Radio X’s John Kennedy and are perhaps best summed up by BBC Introducing’s Kerrie Cosh, “milkshed. just have this raw anthem feel to them.” milkshed.’s latest single, ‘Just Wanna Give’, sees the three-piece dip their toes into murkier sonic waters than their previous entries, such as ‘Do It Again’ which blends the vocal elegance of Marc Bolan with the harsh desert heat of Songs For The Deaf.

By contrast, ‘Just Wanna Give’ leans more into post-grunge and shoegaze flavours. A seemingly omnipresent rhythm guitar forms the driving heartbeat of the track, heightened by the thudding bass. The repeating two chords are hypnotic over the drums and distort time so much so that ‘Just Wanna Give’ flies by in seconds.

The vocals on the track are visceral and tear at the established elements of the track. Rasping and obsessive, it’s hard not to be swept up into the eerie drama of ‘Just Wanna Give’ and just like the best dark thrillers, the track leaves a lasting impression. “Wherever you die. I just wanna give. I just wanna give. I just wanna give.”

milkshed.’s upcoming shows are below:

12 th February: The Season: Signature Brew, Haggerston, London with Jaws The Shark.
7 th March: The Old Blue Last, Shoreditch, London.
14 th March: The Black Prince, Northampton.
22 nd May: The Victoria, London.

Review by Charlie (@charvawritesstuff) for THE SONGBIRD HQ