Walsall duo Big Special continue their uncompromising run with the release of “PLAINTIVE NATIVE,” a thunderous new single following the surprise arrival of their second album ‘NATIONAL AVERAGE.’ via SO Recordings. Frontman Joe Hicklin frames the song around political unease and moral exhaustion, capturing the confusion of trying to hold onto conviction amid constant noise, pressure, and uncertainty. The track hits with weight and urgency, pairing brute force with emotional clarity in a way that has quickly become the band’s calling card.
Big Special’s ascent has been swift and unmistakable, moving from a debut London headline show at Dublin Castle to commanding the O2 Forum Kentish Town in under two years. Built on a long-standing friendship between Hicklin and Callum Moloney, the band channel grit, dark humor, and lived experience into songs that confront success and struggle side by side. With widespread support across UK press and radio, ‘NATIONAL AVERAGE.’ documents that collision honestly, and “PLAINTIVE NATIVE” stands as one of its most direct and forceful statements yet.