The Guest List – “Something Real” (28th August 2026) 8/10
Manchester has produced more than its fair share of bands who have been saddled with expectations before they have even had the chance to establish themselves. For The Guest List, however, pigeonholes appear to be something they are actively keen to avoid. Instead, the quintet – Cai Alty (lead vocalist & guitarist) Tom Quigley (lead guitarist), Leio Hunter (rhythm guitarist), Sid Wallace (bass), and Angus Gilchrist (drums) – let the music do the talking, and on their debut album Something Real, that approach pays dividends.
Arriving as a band who seem determined to carve their own route through an increasingly crowded modern indie and alternative rock landscape, The Guest List come across as something of a musical lone wolf. To escape the noise, the band headed out to Bergen, Norway, to record with collaborator Matias Tellez. And there is little sense of chasing whatever sound happens to be fashionable, with Something Real instead built around strong guitar textures, distinctive vocals and lyrics that frequently stand head and shoulders above many of their contemporaries.
Cai commented on the album: “The album is about people at their best and worst – those who shape our lives intimately and those who we never meet. It’s about squinting through the chaos around us and finding meaning where it is scarce.”
There are familiar touchstones along the way. The guitar work and brooding atmosphere can recall Radiohead and Pixies, while elsewhere there are shades of the more contemporary post-punk approach of Fontaines D.C. But The Guest List take those ingredients somewhere that feels distinctly their own. Most importantly, there is a confidence to the songwriting that suggests this is a band with plenty more to say.
The title track gets things underway, and Something Real immediately establishes the album’s knack for contrast. It addresses an algorithm-driven division and the normalisation of outrage in a post-truth world. There is a summery quality to the instrumentation, but set against Cai’s hauntingly good vocals. It is an inviting introduction that draws you in before the record begins to reveal its darker side.
That arrives quickly with Ruine, one of the album’s strongest moments. Its guitar work carries that Radiohead-meets-Pixies quality, but the song is considerably darker than its predecessor. The inclusion of a French spoken-word monologue in the middle only adds to its sense of mystery, breaking up the track and giving it another dimension.
You Should Care provides something of a release after the intensity of Ruine, taking on the confusion of young adulthood. It retains the dark brooding character that runs through much of the album, and draws comparisons to the Arctic Monkeys Humbug era, but returns closer to the feel of the opener. The three songs together demonstrate just how effectively The Guest List can move between light and shade without losing their identity.
The first previously unheard album track, Sick Animal, slows proceedings down again before gradually building towards an impactful chorus. The lyrics tell the tale of a near-future society forced to rebuild from the wreckage of its own making. It feels like one of those tracks that will reveal more with every listen – a classic grower rather than an instant hit, with the arrangement giving the song room to develop.
Mundane is another highlight. The opening riff is unmistakable, immediately grabbing attention before the song develops into something moodier and more muscular. Its chorus carries a hint of the conversational, direct quality associated with Fontaines, while the guitars give it a much heavier edge.
Then comes If Ever Your Devil Is Kind, which perhaps best demonstrates The Guest List‘s ability to make simplicity incredibly effective, while addressing everyday rage and tribalism. The song balances moody and sunnier elements again, but it is the lyric “why the fuck ain’t you happy yet” that really cuts through. It is an uncomplicated question, but delivered with enough frustration to make it one of the album’s most impactful moments. The kind of lyric that stays with you.
Pink picks the pace back up, driven by a bluesy riff that gives way to small hints of Queens of the Stone Age in the guitar work. It is another example of the band’s ability to introduce different textures without the album becoming disjointed.
Craven is perhaps the clearest example of the guitar-led strength running throughout Something Real. The track builds towards a huge guitar solo, and this variation in sound and quality throughout from the four-guitar attack is one of the album’s greatest assets.
If there is one song that perhaps comes closest to reflecting the Manchester heritage The Guest List are keen not to be defined by, it is Slow Down Sally. There are shades of The Stone Roses, and not simply because of the name in the title. Yet rather than feeling out of place, it works as a charming acoustic change of pace and proves that the band can strip things back just as effectively as they can turn up the volume.
That makes the arrival of Mary all the more effective. Another intense riff gets things moving, before the guitars once again become the driving force. There are so many big guitar moments across Something Real that it is difficult to pick just one, but Mary certainly belongs among them. And as an intimate portrait of domestic abuse and its generational impact, this song carries important messaging.
Weatherman, released as a single in 2025, provides another infectious moment. It narrates a generation’s dread in the face of climate collapse. Its melody is instantly accessible without sacrificing the slightly eerie character that runs through the record, making it an obvious album inclusion.
The Guest List save something more reflective for the end. The Only Ones slows everything down, allowing the album to close on a more contemplative note. After an album filled with muscular guitars, dynamic shifts and moments of intensity, it is a fitting way to bring proceedings to a close.
What ultimately makes Something Real so impressive is that The Guest List sound like a band who aren’t particularly interested in following a map. There are recognisable influences, certainly, but they are used as building blocks rather than a blueprint. The guitars are bold, the vocals are hauntingly unique and excellent, and perhaps most impressively, the lyrics consistently demand attention beyond their years.
For a debut, Something Real feels remarkably assured. The Guest List may be keen to avoid the stereotypes that can accompany being a Manchester band, but there is no need to worry about labels here. The music speaks loudly enough for itself.
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