NEW RELEASE: APES -Pull The Trigger

 

As we like to keep to up to date with new music from the underground, we are here with another roaring tune that definitely needs more listens.

Australian four-piece APES have released their new song ‘Pull The Trigger’, which should have people turning up their volume and taking notice of them. The band are the best of garage-rock as they thrash through the song with a delicious riff and a massive chorus.  The song could be linked to something that peace would have done in their first album, as it has a sort of hazy feel surrounding the solo, but it just makes it that more impressive.

Clearly the band have something here, so like and listen where you can!

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Words By Alex Wise

 

 

The Sea The Sea release ‘Captives’!

 

With Summer bearing down upon us (or has it started) the encouragement to make a summer tune is hitting a yearly high, and there’s always bands that will take up on the option.

The Sea Sea have seen the opportunity and followed through with their new song ‘Captives’, as it captivates summer with breezy song that allows you to sit back and enjoy.

Review: Dory the Wise – ‘Rise and Fall’

Photo taken by Littlebearwolf Photography

Dorey the Wise aren’t one of the most well-known unsigned bands, however ‘Rise and Fall’ should give people something to think about, as it has this uncontrollable chorus along with this stomp and riot melody.

The song is 100% all the way through, it has no calm parts, and is pretty much full-on. This element means that it would easily be a crowd pleaser, as it’s a song that you can just let loose on and go all-out.

They could be linked to The Pigeon Detectives (back when they were good) as they have a likeable style, with pop music at the core of it.

7.5/10

Words by Alex Wise @al456

The Hi-Life Companion – Our Years in the Wilderness

Our Years in the Wilderness is the new album from Bristol based band The Hi-life Companion, which is loosely based around Brothers Matt and Johnathan Troy. The band describe themselves as a music collective rather than a band, which is totally understandable when you are confronted by this album, as it’s not your averaged independent band album, it’s a piece of art.

Of course, most music is well thought out and composed with care and attention, but when listening to this album you gather there was just that extra attention to detail within every aspect of the album, making it attractive.

‘Brockweir House’ starts the whole album off, and states the albums intentions as it lets you in gently and introduces what sort of music collective they are, as they’re soft and delicate with this one, a feat that is easily warmed to. This soft energy flows into the following song ‘Meet me at the Pearl’ which is carefully tinted with a hint of storytelling.

This constant theme throughout, as the majority songs take up a peaceful role and constantly invite you to carry on listening.

‘Sabatani’ puts a halt to all of this it brings up the tempo slightly and gets you singing “Teenage love is such a tender case”, and never has a lyric run so true from and independent band. ‘I Served on Ships’ and ‘The Hole in the Fence’ reclaims the calmness which was once there, and with the introduction of space-like sounds it gives the album a different style as it shows the diversity of the band.

The band show no fear as they continuously bring in different elements with the use of the violins and trumpets, which sets their music apart from most independent bands, as it adds an air of professionalism.

The second part of the album is possibly the most favoured on the two parts you could make of it, as they express a much more wild side to the band with songs like ‘Dark Heart’ and ‘Our Years in Wilderness’. It could be argued that this side of the band is preferable as you receive more enjoyment from those songs as they’re capable of writing a catchy riff and hook-line.

‘Cast you Down’ wraps the album up, and proves to be the best on the album. Although it’s one of the more mellow songs on their, its delivered so well and is reminiscent of Morrissey’s ‘I’ll let you know’, this is touching.

The album is an elegant piece of work that has been looked and cared for every step of the way, however it lacks a certain something from time to time, but it’s nothing that really ruins the album.

7.0/10

Words by Alex Wise @al4563

Review: Wild Smiles – Fool For You

 

 

Wild Smiles are a fast paced three piece band who are signed to Sunday Best Recordings. With time and talent on their side, there’s no reason they should perish on the pile of bands who never made it.

However with their latest release ‘Fool For You’ rising up, I don’t think that will be happening any time soon. The track starts off blistering out of every cylinder, with a single guitar strumming along, setting you up for the drums to be introduced and rip your ears to pieces.

The song is scuzzy guitar pop at its best, with catchy one liners, and a guitar hook that’s simple but effective. It’s a good example of band taking a simple song, that easily could be boring, and turning it into pop genius.

With more releases like this, Wild Smiles will not have any trouble causing a rumble in the music world.

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Single Review: The Vincent(s) – ‘The Throne Song’/’Fever Dreams’

Cork band The Vincent(s) have released a double a-side single, and the first few times you listen to it, you won’t really know what to make of it.

They are a cross between Pearl Jam and what the Horrors sound like now. And that is no bad thing. “The Throne Song” is a hauntingly beautiful song, with melodic guitars and eerie high-hats in the background. It’s Goth pop at it’s best and wouldn’t sound out of place in a scene from World War Z.

“Fever Dreams” keeps up the Goth pop theme, is slightly faster paced and has pounding drums. The vocals are screechy, but that is most defiantly a complement. The accompanying guitars sound out of tune, but this is what makes the song good, and that little bit different to what’s going around at the minute.

The Vincent(s) are most defiantly a band to look out for, the psych/Goth/Indie pop is something that is for those with an acquired taste. This is a band for fans of the Horrors newer stuff, and it won’t be long until these Irish lads are hitting the big time.

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Words By Emma Lawrence

 

 

Album Review: Dream Lake – ‘Dream Lake’

 

Dream Lake is the debut album from, well Dream Lake, and it’s as soft and silky as it sounds, with every noise that flows out of it seems like it has come directly from above.

A short but effective intro is an ideal start for the album, as it just expresses what will be unveiled in the coming songs, just pure bliss. ‘I See the Sky’ is the song that follows, and if the melodies weren’t beautiful enough alone, there’s saintly voice to sweeten the deal, and make the song that bit more desirable.

The songs on the surface feel very bare and non-complex, but it’s the simplicity of everything which allow the vocals to be effective by letting them take lead, like a guitar or a drum would in a solo.

‘In my head’ is short but memorable as the lyrics “In My Head” just seem to get entrapped in your head, sorry for the pun. ‘Try’ is somewhat more complex with the introduction of a guitar and a heavier drum beat, however this takes nothing away from the vocals that are difficult not to mention, it all just seems to mesh so well together.

Each song seems to have been carefully thought through and worked on, as they seem to perfect and polished to be rushed. It’s nice to see a band do this for their debut Ep/Ablum, as they’re often rushed pieces of work, so they can just get something credible released.

‘Fired Up!’ is full to the brim of jangly guitars and heavenly vocals, which is much to what you expect after the previous songs, but nevertheless it’s spot on. ‘In the Lights’ brings a close to it all, with the piano solo to open it up, the vocals burst through like a sharp sun on a Sunday morning. It’s the best on the album the lyrics just seems stick, and with the dual vocals in places, it brings more depth.

It is a satisfying piece of work from the newcomers, as they have laid out their stall by showing everyone what they have go to offer as a band. Some may pick up on the point that the songs sound slightly repetitive and predictable, but to those people you should say, shut up and enjoy this well worked album.

Listen to the whole album here.

Words by Alex Wise @al4563

REVIEW: Jungle Doctors – ‘Falling’

Jungle Doctors have released their new song Falling, which will appear on their upcoming EP Open UP. The band has been making progress ever since they released their debut EP Making Conversation, which encouraged people to take note of the band.

The song has made their second EP even more promising as the track gives an insight into what else will feature on the upcoming EP, which is high quality material.

The song is fast paced and uplifting, with the band exercising their indie muscles, as the guitars spread an impressive layer for the vocals to go over. The guitar work in the song is admirable, as the lead guitar seems to run through all of it, giving the rhythm much more depth.  This is also accompanied by some subtle synth work, as this makes the song seem that bit bigger.

With releasing the single, and their EP to be dropped soon the band will be very busy in the coming months, however you can catch them the at Birmingham 02 academy on 5^th April.

Download the song on Itunes HERE.

8.0/10

 

Words by Alex Wise @al4563

 

 

Wullae Wright – The Orange Line Review

 

Releasing an album is a bold thing to do when you are still an unsigned artist, not only is it expensive to get it recorded professionally, but it is you releasing a full body of work which is always a big risk with unsigned artists. You could suffer a serious setback, as it may receive bad feedback which ruins a piece of work you have invested a lot of time and money into. Also it takes a while to build up a good set of songs, so if it does get knocked back, you’re back at square one. Wullae Wright has taken this dive with his latest album The Orange Line, and has come out with good results.

It’s a brave thing to start with an eight-minute song at the start of the album, as it easily could put a listener off due to the longevity of it. Wright just missed it with this song, as he introduces various elements keeping the song modernistic and fresh.

The album is strange and eerie as Wright’s alternative music tendencies come into the fold with each song, some more than others, but still it lies in all of them

His Tom Meighan like vocals over sounds that could be related to Radiohead are a unique twist, as it is something that is rarely come across. ‘Roadtrippin’ and ‘You never said anything’ demonstrate this very well, as the mix of the light sounding guitar with the occasional heavy blast is something that is hard to go unnoticed. This is a common theme throughout the album, with the softer guitar providing the melody, and the heavy guitar swinging in with a crushing blow to the ear. ‘Stand Alone’, which features Stuart Carroll, has this as well and the thunder enters without permission and catches you off guard.

The unexpected sounds keep rolling in, making each song a complete mystery and interesting to see develop. ‘Plasticland’ is perhaps the most unusual of the album, with a funky riff that belongs in a jazz club is presented, along with far out vocals and a simple chord structure. It all comes together to create a weird but likeable noise.

Wright curates lyrics that reflect on the world and what is around him, as he ignores cliché lyrics and boring lines, which is evident in ‘Story of a Wall’. The idea of the song alone is impressive, but the words even more so.

Although each song sounds like it has come from the planet crazy, each of the songs remain well structured and performed, regardless of the odd noise from time to time.  The last song ‘All the time’ shows this, as it has a catchy chorus but an undoubtedly weird effect along with it.

The album stretches the imagination as it introduces several different elements at unconventional times, which challenge your preconception of music, and they you think it should or shouldn’t be. Wright seems to be experimenting with the simple things and creating something bigger, and although it may be not what you want to hear, it still must be appreciated.

Fully stream the album here >>>http://wullaewright.bandcamp.com/album/the-orange-line

6.5/10

Words by Alex Wise @al4563