Do Bad Sounds deliver on their Debut Album?
For some us the day we’ve been waiting for for almost two years has arrived, as indie fun-lovers Bad Sounds release their highly anticipated debut album and oh boy has it been worth waiting for.
If you’re unfamiliar with Bad Sounds then here’s a brief introduction: Get Better is part of the zany world of brothers Ewan and Callum Merrett, who along with Sam, Charlie, and Olivia make funky indie hip-hop inspired tunes with lyrics occasionally so strange you wonder if they’ve just played a game of Scrabble and read the board out. After the success of previous E.P releases PHRESSSH (which is currently tragically digital only) and Mixtape One, Get Better features some of the cream of the Bad Sounds crop, as well as some equally pleasing new tracks.
Album opener ‘Wages’ is a welcome into the tongue-in-cheek world of the Merrett brothers as lyricists. usually the hyper chant of “When you gonna pay my wages, my patience is paper thin?” can be heard at the end of one of Bad Sounds’ excellent gigs but here it provides a triumphant fanfare ready to drop you into what else the band have to offer. It flows straight into the familiar “Bang! Hit it Joe” catchphrase at the beginning of their breakout single ‘Avalanch” which has a fresh mix to it, sounding just as fantastic and singalong today as it did 2 years ago.
Breezy new track ‘How You Gonna Lose’ is the perfect summery indie-track that you absolutely must play in the sunshine, while previously released single Couldn’t Give It Away gifts us more of the real-life phrase inspired lyrics that the brothers are known for, but with an out-there and almost space-like theme. Previously unreleased (except on a difficult to get hold of Flying Vinyl exclusive) track ‘Banger ‘ is exactly as the title describes; a tune that it would be criminal not to play on repeat and that makes you want to dance and feel better. The latter part of the album sees more of the laid-back tones seen on their previous EPs, particularly via tracks ‘Another Man’ and ‘No Luck’, while the previously released singles ‘Evil Powers’ and ‘Honestly’ stand-out as excellent poppy tracks that make you want to move.
As with any great indie band, Bad Sounds stand above the crowd by experimenting with multiple different sound-styles and for an album whose title and theme is Get Better”you certainly feel better after playing this through.
5/5
Words by Oscar Rees
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