On their debut album Learning Greek, Glasgow-based five-piece Humour deliver a striking offering of attitude- and emotion-heavy UK post-punk, with gritty touches of post-hardcore and emo. Comprised of vocalist Andreas Christodoulidis, Lewis Doig on bass, guitarists Ross Patrizio and Jack Lyell, and drummer Ruairidh Smith, the band crafts a volatile and vibrant soundscape that pulls no emotional punches.
The eleven-track collection showcases Humour’s gift for storytelling through fractured perspectives. The adequately named Learning Greek is about frontman Andreas Christodoulidis exploring his Greek heritage through culture and mythology references, re-imagining the stories of his ancestors. These perspectives come from every side of the spectrum, whether it’s about a songwriter running out of words to steal in “Plagiarist,” a paranoid man torching his own flat in “Neighbours,” or a soldier coming clean about a crime in “I Knew We’d Talk About It One Day.” Elsewhere, “It Happened in the Sun” delves into the mind of a serial killer, while “Aphid” explores near-death experiences and “I Only Have Eyes” captures the depressive disassociation of a man at his sister’s wedding, featuring an angelic vocal turn by Scottish singer-songwriter Theo Bleak.
Opening track “Neighbours” hurls listeners straight into the album’s emotional and musical core, with Christodoulidis’s borderline guttural belting, proof (if you needed any) that Humour are not here to show restraint. It’s an explosive opener that sets the tone for the rest of the record. “Memorial” leans more melodic, catchy, and offers a sing-along potential that dips into pop-punk territory. “Plagiarist” threads these approaches together with scream-talk verses and screeching guitar backdrop clashing beautifully with a coolly sung chorus. This sonic formula resurfaces across tracks like “Aphid” and “I Knew We’d Talk About It One Day,” creating an interplay between chaos and clarity.
The title track, “Learning Greek,” incorporates a recording of Christodoulidis and his father reading a Greek essay (On Philhellenes Street by Andreas Embirikos) on appreciating life, layered over striking guitar lines. “In The Paddies” explores a more frantic side of Humour’s post-punk coin, and closing track “It Happened In The Sun” ties together the many chapters of Learning Greek with a spacious, dreamy, atmospheric bow, topped off with emotionally charged spoken-word.
Learning Greek is an exploration of fractured psyches and truths, delivered through relentless instrumentation and narrative grit. On their debut, Humour flex their lyrical muscle and firmly establish their ability to continually build and rebuild unhinged worlds in under four minutes. They also prove they can be emotionally arresting, with vocals so raw and expressive they pull listeners in with sheer feeling alone.
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