Folk Bitch Trio - Now Would Be A Good Time Review

A tender, quietly elegant debut that captures the chaos, closeness, and contradictions of early adulthood with extraordinary grace.

Folk Bitch Trio’s debut album Now Would Be a Good Time feels quietly monumental. For a debut, it is a masterclass in songwriting, harmony and restraint, filled with moments that glow, linger and ache. From the very beginning, it was clear this band had something special. Their single ‘God’s a Different Sword’ was the first sign that something big was coming, but it was seeing them perform live in a small, dimly lit venue in East London that truly confirmed it. The room was transfixed. Their harmonies, as meticulous and seamless as anything by The Beach Boys, felt spellbinding to see in person.

Now Would Be a Good Time opens with ‘God’s a Different Sword,’ a stunning entry point and arguably one of the more hopeful tracks on the record. There’s a strength in it, a clarity that sets the tone for what follows. What unfolds across the rest of the record is a series of emotional vignettes, each song painting a delicate and sharply observed portrait of longing, confusion and growing up.

‘Hotel TV,’ the final single before the album's release captures the hazy intimacy of late-night thoughts, touching on the uncomfortable territory of sex dreams about someone else while lying next to your partner. It's in moments like this that the trio’s lyrical honesty shines, making space for discomfort without ever sacrificing subtlety.

Then comes ‘The Actor,’ another major standout. Its lush three-part harmonies are paired with deeply personal storytelling, balancing affection, tension, humour and collapse. The song traces the intensity of a relationship in fast forward, from infatuation to downfall, with all the theatricality its title suggests.

Elsewhere, ‘Cathode Ray’ offers a glimpse into the band’s playful side, something often more evident in their live performances. The lyrics repeat, “But everybody needs somebody / To make their body / Come undone,” with the delivery lingering cheekily on the word "come." Lyrically, the whole album moves through a wide spectrum of emotions: grief, anxiety, desire, anger, joy, humour and connection. There is a raw, unfiltered honesty in the writing that never feels forced. The collection of songs here are detailed sketches of early adulthood, full of nuance and self-awareness.

The trio's music feels anchored in the here and now, balancing a youthful emotional intensity with clear-eyed reflections on messy relationships, attention fatigue and the quiet dramas of daily life. The writing never veers into melodrama, but instead captures the small, often contradictory moments that define your twenties.

Musically, the album is understated but gorgeous. The arrangements are sparse and spacious, giving the vocal harmonies room to breathe and shine. Dreamy, acoustic guitars weave gently beneath the surface, never overwhelming the melodies. There’s a warmth to the record, possibly due to it being recorded straight to tape, that gives it a timeless quality. A fair few tracks are drumless and the decision to keep the instrumentation minimal only amplifies the emotional weight and power of the vocals. For all its subtlety, the album is also filled with melodies that stick. The songs are addictive, the kind that quietly replay in your mind days later.

The album closes on ‘Mary’s Playing the Harp,’ a track steeped in vivid imagery and emotional distance. “I’m a long way from home,” the trio sing in unison, a line that feels symbolic not just of love and longing, but also of their own journey as artists. Like many of the songs here, it’s quietly devastating, with harmonies that can make the hairs on your arms rise.

Now Would Be a Good Time is an impressive debut. It is cohesive, consistent and emotionally intelligent. Folk Bitch Trio have created something rare: a record that feels both intimate and expansive, confident and unguarded. There’s no denying this is one of the strongest debut albums in recent memory.