The July 4th released its debut album, The Planets, earlier this week on September 11th.

In ‘The Planets’, band members Brian Bradley & Nicholas Barr put their spin on a seven-movement orchestral suite by the English composer Gustav Holst, written between 1914 and 1916.

And what a spin it is.

Rich electronic beats and shimmering synth. A swirling instrumental ride.

I love the insistent and tension tinged nature of some of the songs. It’s almost as if the music is compelling you to do something and not just sit there while listening.

The album opens with Mars, a song that I imagine blasting in a crowded stadium and elevating the moods of all within hearing distance. Six planets follow, each song pulling you in with the subtle hum of instruments, piano occasionally drifting over. Other times it is the guitar that reaches through the electronic base.

Overall, really good music. I can’t sing to it, but sometimes it is good to rest the old voice.

So, what to cook up for The July 4th?

Nick, from the band, says that they try to eat organically/locally/intentionally.

These fritters fit that bill. To make them I picked up locally grown carrots, salad greens and herbs. Fresh and lovely ingredients.

The sweet lemon dressing is a terrific counterpart to the salty cheese and the crisp vegetable fritters. I served the stacks over a plate of mixed greens for the ultimate dinner salad.

Carrot And Cilantro Fritters With Halloumi And Sweet Lemon Dressing

Ingredients:

250g halloumi
4 large carrots, coarsely grated
5 spring onions, finely sliced
Small bunch of coriander, leaves chopped
3 Tbs (20g) flour
2 eggs, beaten
3 Tbs olive oil
Handful of rocket leaves
Mixed greens
4 Tbs sweet lemon dressing (recipe follows)

Directions:

1. Coarsely grate 50g of the halloumi and add to the carrots in a mixing bowl. Slice the remaining halloumi and set aside.

2. Add the remaining fritter ingredients to the mixing bowl, season with pepper and mix well. Form into 12 round patties, flattening them with your hand, and lay out on a tray. If you have time, chill for 30 minutes to firm up.

3. Heat the olive oil in a pan and fry the patties for a couple of minutes on each side until golden. Remove to a plate and keep warm in a low oven while you fry the halloumi for a minute or 2 on each side. You won’t need any extra oil for this. When done, the cakes should be crisp and golden.

4. Layer the fritters and halloumi slices on serving plates with the rocket, and drizzle with the sweet lemon dressing.

Sweet Lemon Dressing

Ingredients:

1 small clove garlic, minced
1 Tbs honey
1 tsp wholegrain mustard
Juice and zest of one lemon
90ml olive oil

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a screw top jar and shake to mix.

Recipe slightly adapted from BBC Good Food Magazine

Calling all stadiums. You want this song on your sound system.
The July 4th-Mars- Bringer Of War

Mercury has such a cool beginning. Soft, repetitive. Slowly adding layers of sound. I love when the percussion kicks in. It’s a totally cracking tune.
The July 4th-Mercury-The Winged Messenger

You can check out The July 4th on Facebook and on Union Square Records.

You can buy ‘The Planets’ here.

Cheers!