Pissed off and let down: that’s the sentiment of A Life On Hold, the new album from Tears|Ov (L.E. Allen, Terces Wale and Lottie Lou Poulet), which I recall hearing extracts from at a Tapeworm celebration event at Café Oto in 2025.

Consisting (generally) of short pieces, A Life On Hold is infused with a political narrative pouring scorn on an anti-capitalist patriarchal new normal that no one feels like they are truly a part of (unless you’re over-privileged and detached from the realities of day-to-day existence, of course).

It’s a necessarily unsettling listen, and one that deserves your fullest attention. ‘We’re Sorry’ begins with an insincere recorded apology before settling into prowling oscillator sweeps and militaristic drums that instil a sense of urgency, only for the frustrating robotic to re-emerge as the track’s focal point.

The curt ‘Happy Meal’ is presented as a playful suite of burbling arpeggios (I’m loving it?) while ‘Setting Sail’ – the longest track on the collection – fuses deep bass pulse synth tones, resigned spoken word verse, an uncoiling sound and a sample of someone baffled by misinformation. It’s a savage reflection of what it’s like to be alive today.

https://the-tapeworm.bandcamp.com/album/a-life-on-hold

Released October 23 2026 by The Wormhole / The Tapeworm.

Words: Mat Smith

(c) 2026 Further.