A seven-track debut shaped by Wales, Australia, fatherhood and a lifelong love of guitar music.
Wales has always had a strong track record when it comes to guitar bands.
From Manic Street Preachers and Feeder to Stereophonics, there is a particular kind of Welsh rock that feels big without needing to show off. Strong melodies, solid guitars and songs that tend to come from real life rather than somewhere overly imagined.
Dan Higgins carries some of that with him on Twenty Twenty Six, his debut album released on August 1.
Originally from Monmouth and now based in Australia, Higgins has spent years writing and recording music in the background. This seven-track record feels like the point where those songs finally demanded a bit more space.
Opener ‘Commuting’ drops straight into the everyday. It is indie rock built around the working week, with sharp guitars and vocals that give the track a bit more weight than its title might suggest.
There is plenty of guitar across the album, including some proper shredding, but Higgins never lets it take over completely. His voice keeps the record grounded, pulling even the brighter moments back towards rock territory.
That is especially true on ‘Incandescent’, which brings more pop-rock energy without becoming too polished. There is a bit of Stereophonics in the sturdy guitar work and direct vocal delivery, although Higgins has his own way of moving through a song.
You can hear that he knows this kind of music well. Not in an overly technical sense, but in the way the arrangements hold together. There is a deep familiarity with guitar music running underneath the whole record.
‘Man’s Fear’ is one of the strongest tracks here. It gets moving quickly, pairing vulnerable writing with a solid rock arrangement and some of the album’s best guitar work.
The track also digs into the manosphere, which is not exactly familiar territory for indie rock. Higgins handles it without making the song feel like a lecture, instead using it as a way into broader ideas around masculinity, fear and how people make sense of themselves.
‘The World Is Ours Tonight’ continues the album’s upbeat run, although there is a moodier edge sitting underneath it. Higgins shows more range vocally here, giving the track a little grit and stopping it from drifting too far into straightforward pop-rock.
Then comes ‘2011’, opening with acoustic guitar and proving that Higgins does not need to turn everything up to make it land.
It is probably the standout, or at least the track most likely to pull you back for another listen. The songwriting is simple and direct, with a melody that settles in without trying too hard.
‘Cardiff’ naturally brings his Welsh background closer to the surface. It is a moodier cut, carrying some distance and reflection without turning into a sentimental song about home.
There are small echoes of Feeder’s melodic side and the rougher warmth of Stereophonics, particularly in the way Higgins balances big guitars with ordinary subject matter. At other points, there are flashes of Goo Goo Dolls and early-2000s pop-rock, with the occasional hint of Blink-182 in the cleaner melodies.
He never sounds exactly like any of them, though.
That is probably one of the album’s strengths. Higgins is difficult to pin down beyond the fact that he clearly loves rock music and knows how to write a strong guitar-led song.
Final track ‘Night Light’ is a fitting closer. It does not reach for some oversized finale, instead bringing the album home with a sense of warmth and reflection.
Higgins first started experimenting with music on a four-track Portastudio as a teenager. After moving to Australia, writing and recording became something he continued around the edges of work and family life.
That shifted in 2024 when, encouraged by his wife and young daughter, he committed to writing and recording at least one new song each month for a year.
That process became the backbone of Twenty Twenty Six, and you can hear the momentum in it.
The record moves between louder electric tracks and softer acoustic moments without feeling too carefully mapped out. It has the looseness of someone following the songs rather than trying to build a perfect debut.
The subject matter helps. Higgins writes about work, relocation, masculinity, expecting a second child and the everyday mess of trying to stay creative while life keeps moving around you.
It feels honest because he does not try to turn those experiences into anything grander than they are. The songs read more like snapshots of where he is now, caught between Wales and Australia, old influences and new responsibilities.
Remastered versions of previously released tracks sit alongside the newer material, but they do not feel out of place. Instead, they help show how long this record has been taking shape.
Twenty Twenty Six is not trying to reinvent guitar music.
It is a strong debut from a songwriter who has spent years quietly working out what he wants to say, with enough big guitars, solid melodies and lived-in writing to make it worth a proper listen.
