Hartlepool favourite Michael Gallagher returns with ‘Teach Me How To Swim’, his first drop since ‘Summer Girl’ bubbled under in the summer of 2022.
The track explodes out of the gates with a wiry, thrashing riff which functions more as a motif than a centrepiece, backing the crowd-friendly ‘woo woo’ chorus as it does, a barely-there hook deeply reminiscent of mid-Noughties guitar pop.
The song’s lyrics are front-and-centre, Gallagher refusing to flinch from the harsh realities of the environment surrounding him in North East England. Plainspoken but glowing with empathy, the words are an appeal to spectres of the idea of community in an area undermined by the uncaring abstractions of ideology, tied around an allegory of swimming.
Already a welcome addition to the artist’s live catalogue ahead of a number of upcoming local gigs where the song’s singalong section is guaranteed to prove a highlight, the track’s sonic warmness and sobering but love-minded lyrical direction work as a combination to strike a celebratory tone, as Gallagher continues to build momentum.
You can listen to the track now on all major streaming platforms.
