Rather than putting the world to rights, the band lean into its chaos, reimagining Camus’ interpretation of the Greek myth for the 21st Century mosh pit.

Bursting out of your speakers with clean clanging guitars and lovely tacky synth is the refreshing sound of The Accident Group, who introduce themselves with debut single ‘The Myth of Sisyphus’. Based in Manchester and named after the injury claims company that famously sacked 2,500 workers by text, they are an exciting band with a keen eye for the ironies of modern life and an essential sense of fun.

Where most eminent state-of-the-nation British songwriters rely on deadpan delivery to carry their lank witticisms, The Accident Group wear a silly grin in the face of our collective plight. “Watch that baby roll” they sing along in the chorus, irreverently casting themselves as a feckless, hospitality industry Sisyphus. In a brilliant couplet, they then consider Camus’ conjecture that the Sisyphus character “must be happy”, adding themselves that “he’s a cheeky chappy”. This rather loosens up the discussion, while also addressing the euphemisms that superficially mollify the hardship of modern life in day-to-day conversation.

Discussing the content of ‘The Myth of Sisyphus’, guitarist/vocalist George Unitt describes it as “a cathartic song… Everyone’s fed up with constantly working their arse off and then feeling like they’re getting fucked over. You make more money, then there’s an energy crisis. So, you work harder, and then there’s a cost-of-living crisis. It’s endless.” You can see why so many artists enact this kind of despair in their performances, but The Accident Group subvert that instinct. Musically, they side-step the current craze for post-punk angularity, leaning instead into the garage rock form of rock ‘n’ roll enthusiasm, and nodding also to the heady days of Britpop. In the face of the bleakness of modern Britain, they dare to have fun, and it’s infectious. Rather than putting the world to right, they flip their sunglasses down and enjoy the chaos. Watch that baby roll indeed.   

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