Goth Fight Cage, the solo project of Mark Holloway from Belfast’s Fagash McCann, released his latest EP, Untaxed Vehicle, last month. The five-song EP was written and recorded during Holloway’s college days in 2023 at his old student house. Evoking the early 2000s indie and alternative rock renaissance, Untaxed Vehicle is rooted in a strong DIY ethos and lo-fi, bedroom recorded sound.
In stark contrast to Goth Fight Cage’s previous 2024 acoustic-centred releases ‘I’m Going Out’, alongside ‘Stop and See’, Untaxed Vehicle has a more upbeat and faster groove, spearheaded by a lead guitar that rivals Holloway’s vocals for the listeners attention throughout.
Put simply, Untaxed Vehicle is an intriguing listen for anyone who has an interest in the indie or alternative rock scene. Perhaps its greatest selling point for me is the creativity and variety of the storytelling across each track. Whether the events described happened directly to Holloway or were inspired by the experiences of friends and family, the EP carries a strong sense of first-person narration, exploring universal struggles through a distinctly personal lens.
The EP kicks off with ‘Tired’, a fast-paced opening track that sets the tone for the rest of the collection. Built around a continuous lead guitar riff, the song, at face value, discusses the inconvenience of sleep deprivation. However, upon closer examination, it hints at the struggle of going about your daily life when a worry is weighing you down. In this specific scenario, Holloway refers to the yearning to figure out the next steps in life. The line “Maybe if I’m up all night, I’ll figure out what I was trying to find”, captures the narrator attempting to throw a positive spin on the struggle, in the hope that sometimes our clearest thoughts can come in moments of tranquillity after hours.
The middle tracks of the EP, ‘I’m not in Love with You’, and ‘Girlfriend’s Girlfriend’ both explore the complications and complexity of romantic relationships. In one instance, while there is unrequited love, the line “let’s have a drink or two and try pretend it doesn’t matter, but it matters”, indicates that this situation may need a more careful approach than most. On the other hand, ‘Girlfriend’s Girlfriend’ shamelessly illustrates a slightly more unique and outlandish scenario, where the narrator seemingly finds a few too many qualities in his girlfriend’s friend, though she is also in a relationship herself.
A personal favourite on the EP, and one that many Irish listeners will relate to, is ‘Why can’t you be nice to me’. Presumably where the EP takes its name, the song addresses a common issue amongst young drivers, where a first car can sometimes lead to more trouble than it’s worth. Despite this trade-off, these problems are often overlooked thanks to the affection and sentiment attached to owning your first “banger”, (“She’s old, she’s grey, she’s rotten but she’s mine”). This frustration then is directed towards the laws and authorities that can compound the fragility of a car on its last legs. So much so that the morality of these regulations has found its way to the forefront of the song’s subject.
The Ep closes with focus track ‘Yours’. Discussing a topical theme, particularly in online spaces, the song addresses the realities of modern “hook up culture” and its implications. Despite the void and lack of fulfilment it can leave many with, the lyric “Hold me close just tonight” highlights the narrator’s priorities, which differ from conventional perceptions of casual relationships.
Overall, Untaxed Vehicle ticks all the boxes of what you want from an EP. Defined by its unique narrative storytelling, signature lead guitar work, and youthful exuberance, the EP keeps the listener invested throughout its runtime. Capturing the joys of the EP format, Untaxed Vehicle is more structured and defined than a first demo whilst keeping the raw and bedroom-recorded originality that has not yet to be polished away by the studio.
Although only five-tracks long, Untaxed Vehicle deserves to find its way to the ears of indie and alternative rock fans. As all great EPs should, it piques the interest of the listener and puts Goth Fight Cage in the ‘one to keep an eye on’ category. With a complete album surely on the horizon, a big push to the finish line could see many of these tracks included in a breakthrough album for Goth Fight Cage.
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