By Scott Hays
Hailing from the industrial heart of Middlesbrough, Onlooker has spent the last decade perfecting a sound best described as angry songs that make you smile. Since their formation in 2017, they evolved from a local secret into a powerhouse of the North East DIY scene, a journey punctuated by the release of their explosive 2022 debut LP, Total Rest, and the refined aggression of 2025’s EP2. Now, the band stands on the precipice of their biggest milestone yet: the highly anticipated second album, Cleveland, set for release on 10th April 2026 by Serial Bowl Records.
The album is built around a twin guitar attack that is intense, nostalgic, and yet urgently modern. Jagged, scratchy melodies filled with infectious hooks are woven throughout the 11 songs that comprise the record. Drawing heavy influence from the angular post-punk of Gang of Four and Wire, the band fuses these elements with a spit and sawdust garage-rock energy and a sharp, distinct regional wit. In short you cant help but smile when you listen to them
Lyrically, their songs serve as a biting commentary on the industrial North, tackling everything from toxic masculinity and government failures to the mundane frustrations of working-class life. Tracks like Formula Tofu and Hookaduck are instantly memorable, remaining stuck in your mind hours after listening, while Peaceful Protest and Carpool offer a more complex, angular approach to their songwriting.
This is authentic music delivered by five lads who are the real deal. With Cleveland just weeks away, Onlooker is poised to cement their status as the definitive voice of modern Teesside punk. It is a release not to be missed from one of the very finest bands to have emerged from the North East in recent memory.
Follow Onlooker online here
Listen to the album here:
