Care Home: For Nothing
CD | DL | Vinyl
Released 25 April 2025
LTW EXCLUSIVE EARLY STREAM ON SOUNDCLOUD
Andy Brown reviews For Nothing, the ferocious synth punk debut by Care Home. He shares his thoughts for for Louder Than War.
I caught the very first Care Home gig in 2022 at a night called The Endless Hum. A sweaty, near-feral performance it was too. Since then, the Leeds/ Bradford/ Wakefield based synth punks have found themselves supporting the likes of Oxbow and The Jesus Lizard. Keeping things decidedly DIY, the guys behind The Endless Hum – that happen to include Care Home drummer Matt Reid – have created their very own record label and are kicking things off with the band’s much-anticipated debut album, For Nothing.
The synths fade in slowly before the rest of the band come crashing in with a reassuringly brutal bombardment. Channelling hardcore, noise rock and goth, Lead The Weak hits like a hurricane. Synth playing vocalist Chris Jenkinson sounds like he’s on the verge of imploding as he howls: “They’ll leave the lights on/ To know where you sleep/ They’ll come around dawn/ And lead the weak.” Rage, paranoia and punk rock spirit.
There’s no time to catch your breath as The Photograph comes rushing in with ominous urgency. “Don’t need to see the sun,” insists Jenkinson as we’re swept up by a dark, exhilarating wave of goth-leaning post-punk. It’s like The Cure if they got signed to Dischord. If you love punk, goth and horror film soundtracks as much as I do, then you’re going to find plenty to love on this album.
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The drama dial is turned all the way to eleven with the arrival of the brilliant Birthday Sex. Sci-fi synths are soon overwhelmed by an intense barrage of sound; pulverising drums, weighty guitars and abundant bass. It’s a substantial five and a half minutes long, yet the track somehow manages to keep upping the intensity. There’s even – whisper it – a little bit of prog in the band’s knack for a synth-led breakdown. By the time Jenkinson is screaming about being a liar, the hairs on the back of my neck aren’t just raised, they’re on fucking fire.
Stained Glass is a catchy little acoustic number about sunshine and good times… only kidding. The track starts with a wall of hypnotic guitars courtesy of Charles Pritchard before the rhythm section unceremoniously proceeds to kick our teeth in (metaphorically, of course). The songs are pretty long but they never outstay their welcome; the band successfully keeping us on the edge of our seats. For all their primal caveman energy, Care Home know how to incorporate dynamics and an atmospheric sense of unease.
There’s a formidable sonic heft to the songs, just take the pummelling Nightshift. The whole album is far heavier than the punk/ post-punk tag may initially suggest. It’s the sound of a band straining every sinew and pushing their sound to the limit. There are moments here when they reach Swans-like levels of sonic intensity. We Lost comes next, featuring some particularly effective synth work from Jenkinson. Under all the noise and fury, there’s a sizable slice of eighties goth; Care Home have simply taken that sound and strapped a fucking rocket to its back.
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Mark Snellgrove leads the charge on Loved at Home with a brilliantly filthy bassline. There’s a real dark energy to the band’s tight, muscular and explosive sound. Just think of mclusky at their most belligerent. Irreversible Séance is immediately in the shortlist for best song title of 2025 and you’ll be pleased to hear that it’s an absolute banger too. Scuzzy synths, doom-laden bass, relentless drums, molasses thick guitar and throat-shredding vocals. What more do you want? “Where’s your god now?!” screams Jenkinson as the band bring their little ritual to a suitably cacophonous conclusion.
Prescription Sleep is a noise-rock death march; tortured by night terrors as it screams into the void. In case it isn’t obvious, this record gets dark. Really dark. “Prescription sleep/ To try and find your love,” goes the sleep-deprived narrative “Cigarettes burn my hands/ To wake me up.” The darkness is still there with Wasted on You but there are points when the catharsis has an unexpectedly euphoric tinge. It’s the end of the world as we know it and Care Home feel fine. Conversely, End Scene sends us off with a cold, bleak and powerful six-minute epic. The band really amplifying their industrial influences as they hammer us into submission.
For Nothing is a 53-minute hardcore goth-punk opus. Pouring their sweaty, punk rock souls into these songs for the last few years has helped Care Home to create a debut album that more than lives up to the anticipation. Those fine folk at Hohm Studios in Bradford have done a sterling job capturing the bands unquestionably ferocious sound. Suffice to say, if you’re after something raw and intense then this album won’t just scratch an itch, it’ll rip your face off.
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You can find Care Home on Instagram and Bandcamp.
Buy tickets for their album launch HERE.
All words by Andy Brown. You can visit his author profile and read more of his reviews for Louder Than War HERE.
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