When Chilli Jesson first landed on the cover of NME back in 2012, he did so as one half of a wildly magnetic and unruly indie double act, the most compelling pairing since Pete and Carl. The headline proclaimed Palma Violets as “the best new band in Britain,” with Jesson, their bassist and occasional vocalist, positioned as the effortlessly cool voice at the centre of it all. Yet beneath the rush of youthful anthems and deliberately scruffy charm sat a far more unsettled story. Jesson lost his father to drug addiction at the age of 14, and nearly two decades later, that unresolved grief sits at the heart of his new project, Dead Dads Club.

The name of the project, which follows a brief stint with second band Crewel Intentions and an earlier self titled solo release, might sound overly literal at first glance. The music itself, however, proves anything but. In a strange twist considering the subject matter, the debut Dead Dads Club album is the most assured, lively and fully realised work Jesson has put out since the early Palma Violets era.

Jesson has spoken about ‘Dead Dads Club’ as a story led album that charts the years immediately following his father’s death, yet the writing remains loose enough to stop the concept from becoming heavy handed. There is a sense of cautious optimism on opener ‘It’s Only Just Begun’, the echo of strained family arguments running through ‘Running Out of Gas’, and a closing feeling of release on ‘Need You So Bad’. Still, most of the tracks work perfectly well on their own, untethered from the broader narrative.

Much of that impact comes from the production work of Fontaines D.C.’s Carlos O’Connell. Having spent recent years touring with the Irish band, Jesson sounds visibly energised by the experience. ‘Don’t Blame The Son For The Sins Of The Father’ launches with a bruising opening that would not feel out of place on ‘Romance’, while ‘Goosebumps’ leans into gritty, Jack White style guitar tones with a playful snarl. Paired with the tense drive of ‘Humming Wires’, these tracks form some of the album’s most immediate highlights, built to be played loud and tested on stage.

There is plenty of range across ‘Dead Dads Club’ as well. ‘Volatile Child’ taps into sharp indie melodies that recall early Strokes instincts, ‘Junkyard Radiator’ drifts through a woozy, drugged out haze laced with psychedelic unease, and ‘Need You So Bad’ closes things out with a soft, glowing lift. By confronting his darkest experiences head on, Jesson has realigned himself creatively. No one ever wants to be part of Dead Dads Club, but if you find yourself there, at least the music offers something worth holding onto.

Details

• Record label: Fiction Records
• Release date: January 23, 2025