With its focus on authenticity and how, according to singer Noah Alves, ‘nostalgia can be damaging when you feel like the best stuff is in the past and there’s nothing new and exciting to be done’, London quartet Middleman’s debut album ‘Following the Ghost’ (released on 13 February, 2026 via Evil Speaker Records) has its sight set on a brighter future.

The record opens with ‘CSN’, a scuzzy slice of slacker pop that seams perfectly into ‘Distractions’ – a song that demands you ‘imagine the future’ amidst relentless drumming and punk rock riffs. ‘Carry the Lie’ carries this momentum with its intense Pixies-esque bass-led sound before ‘All But the Flame’ slows things down to take a more introspective route – albeit with plenty of potent guitar solos.

‘Vacant Days’ has in-your-face riffs to open that fall somewhere between fellow London punks Rifle and The Replacements and plenty of pop sensibilities – ‘Your head’s in the pillow as you walk through the park’ – before ‘The Furthest Place’ heads into something more hardcore, especially in Noah’s full-throttle vocals: ‘Watch, baby, as the world flies by’.

‘Long Goodbye’ reminded us of Buzzcocks with its jangly yet arty hooks and poignant lyrics – ‘Did I miss you once before, knocking at the closed door?’ – before ‘Morning All the Time’ takes us into an emo space, especially when Noah laments how ‘these moments are just lost in time’. The title track closes the album in defiantly short and sweet fashion, as Middleman urge you to stop living in the past.

Middleman’s debut record is one that could see them heading to the top.

Live dates

February 21st: London – The George Tavern
March 4th: Cardiff – The Canopi
March 5th: Nottingham – JT Soar
March 6th: Manchester – Fuel Cafe Bar
March 7th: Leeds – Boom Leeds
March 8th: Sheffield – Delicious Clam