Tag: lead guitar

#Review: Sea Girls – Homesick

Matt Wright - Muzik SpeaksLeave a comment

facebook_logos_PNG19751.png    ios_homescreen_icon.png   app-icon2.png

Sea Girls are a UK-based indie rock band that formed in 2015, consisting of four members: Henry Camamile (vocals and guitar), Rory Young (lead guitar), Andrew Dawson (bass) and Oli Khan (drums). Since their formation, the band have become known for their high-energy shows and big indie anthems. With a string of EPs and a debut album behind them already, 2022 sees the release of the band’s sophomore album, Homesick. Here’s what we have to say about it…

Sea Girls - Homesick

From the outset, it is clear that this band have worked hard to create an album packed with anthemic chorus and catchy hooks that are begging to be sung along to in big arenas.

Album opener, ‘Hometown’, serves as an epic introduction to the record with its euphoric, stadium-filling sound, before leading into single, ‘Sick’ – the rhythm chugs throughout, whilst vocalist, Henry Camamile, sings about all the things he’s “sick” of and how he wishes he could turn back time to when he was a child and times were more innocent.

Next is ‘Lonely’ – another big song with its eerie whistling (like something you might expect to hear in an old Spaghetti Western) and a massive chorus about the loss of an old flame.

There’s so much to love about the record, but some of the best tracks on the album include: ‘Someone’s Daughter Someone’s Son’ – a song that starts with a deep vocal before picking up the pace and launching into some serious feel-good vibes to the beat; ‘Paracetamol Blues’ with its upbeat, The Killers-esque vibes; and the incredibly danceable ‘Higher’ that features processed beats (in parts) and has a very Walk The Moon-type feel to it.

Homesick is an album that brilliantly cements Sea Girls as giants of the British indie music scene.

‘Sleeping With You’ sees Camamile singing of remembering an old love whilst sleeping with someone new, ‘Again Again’ has a big stadium feel to it and the wonderfully appreciative ‘Lucky’ looks at how “lucky” they are for the things they have in their lives and the time and place they were born into.

‘Cute Guys’ stands out (not necessarily for the right reasons) as an other-worldly song that starts with acoustic guitars, spacey-sounding synths and cracking vocals before descending into a chaotic, shouty and altogether quite horrifying track that’s so different from the rest of the record.

The album closes with the nostalgia-infused ‘Friends’ that’s calling out for members of the crowds at their live shows to put their arms around one another and embrace a shared experience.

Homesick is an album that brilliantly cements Sea Girls as giants of the British indie music scene. It’s eclectic, interesting, poetic and packed with songs that will have you coming back time and again. There are clear inspirations taken from bands before them, but they have used these influences to craft something wonderful. For those who are already fans of the band, this is going to prove a real treat to listen to. Whilst others who are new to their work, will find this a great starting point to get excited about them and is sure to have you delving into their debut album too. All I know is that it’s left me excited to see what direction they will take next.

Rating
4.5

‘Homesick’ is out now and can be downloaded from iTunes – https://music.apple.com/us/album/homesick/1579054914

Homesick on Spotify

Sick (Official Video)

Lonely (Official Video)

We hope you’ve enjoyed our review! What do you think of the band’s second album? Are you as much of a fan as us? What would you rate it out of 5? Please leave your thoughts in a comment or via our social media.

Enjoyed this? Check out some of our other reviews here:

Muzik Speaks Album Reviews

Matt – Muzik Speaks
www.facebook.com/muzikspeaks
www.twitter.com/muzik_speaks

Advertisement

#Review: Doll Skin – Love Is Dead And We Killed Her

Matt Wright - Muzik SpeaksLeave a comment

facebook_logos_PNG19751.png    ios_homescreen_icon.png   app-icon2.png

Muzik Speaks Loves Hopeless Records - SmallerDoll Skin are an all-female rock band from Phoenix, Arizona, consisting of Meghan Herring (drums/co-lead vocals), Sydney Dolezal (lead vocals/rhythm guitar), Nicole Rich (bass/backing vocals) and Alex Snowden (lead guitar/backing vocals). The band’s sound is a blend of punk, metal, alternative rock & pop. In April 2019, Doll Skin announced that they had signed to Hopeless Records, to release their third album, Love Is Dead And We Killed Her. Here’s what we have to say about it…

Doll Skin - Love Is Dead And We Killed Her.jpg

There will undoubtedly be people who will compare Doll Skin to the likes of The Donnas or other all-female punk bands but Love Is Dead And We Killed Her is possibly one of the most exciting rock records I’ve heard this year. It’s fresh, enthralling and unique.

From the anger-fuelled, scream anthem that is the opening track, ‘Don’t Cross My Path’ which sees the chanting of “This is a song for everyone I hate,” and “Throw your tantrum, meet my rage,” to the final notes of ‘Homesick’ – a track about returning home, to the people you have missed – this is a cyclical album with strong themes of karma, facing internal demons and broken relationships throughout.

There is plenty of metaphorical imagery intertwined too, such as the closing track casting thought-provoking scenes about finding peace, or single, ‘Mark My Words’, casting scenes about tattooing Sydney‘s words onto someone to tell of the hell she’s been through because of them.

It’s really hard not to write about every track for different reasons; from ‘No Fear’ with it’s captivating vocal melody and impeccably strong delivery or title track, ‘Love Is Dead And We Killed Her’, a payback track about karma catching up with their ex lover, through to ‘When They Show Their Teeth’ and its frantic drum intro with good old punk rock ‘na, na, nas’ (very much the kind of track you’d hear playing over the footage of a car chase scene with shaky camera shots, high-octane, skilled manoeuvres and even a crowd-pleasing, clap-along breakdown at the end too; there’s really a bit of something for every punk or rock music lover here.

There’s something exciting about the delivery throughout the record and a real sense of diversity in the production and tone of each track.

For me though, it’s the middle tracks of the record that really grabbed my attention. ‘Outta My Mind’ is possibly the strongest track on the record, instantly giving me goosebumps. It’s the kind of career-defining song that people come back to as a fan favourite with incredible gang vocals and and angsty but upbeat tone that is somehow also heavy at the same time.

‘Ink Stains’ has some lovely the half-time moments, a high-pitched, powerful vocal, with the cutting line, “You won’t be hearing from me any more,” and even a chaotic, half-spoken, half-sung breakdown, a bit like the one in Good Charlotte’s ‘Predictable’.

‘Nasty Man’ is a deep track, seemingly about a predatory man – someone promising a young girl what she wants and taking advantage of it, whilst ‘Your Idols Are Dying’ is an angst-ridden anthem about internal struggles, drugs and finding out that the people you admire and look up to most are not all they’re made up to be. There’s a perfect scream breakdown that goes right to the end of the track too!

‘Empty House’ is another example of a metaphorical track too, initially addressing being alone and screaming out for help, but it’s a progressive story that builds to a more positive ending, about learning to love yourself – it’s quite beautiful!

It’s actually funny how an album cover can mislead you – I wasn’t expecting to like this record quite as much as I did, based on the cover alone, but ended up thoroughly loving it. It’s a real testament to show that you shouldn’t judge an album by its cover.

Love Is Dead And We Killed Her is a truly exciting album that although wouldn’t always be my normal cup of tea, truly captivated me. There’s something exciting about the delivery throughout the record and a real sense of diversity in the production and tone of each track. Sure, there are certain elements that fall within the same vein as Paramore but they are also, so much more – it’s like they learnt to scream and got a whole bit heavier in tone.

I’m super excited to see what Doll Skin put out next, as this album is a banger, and you can bet these tracks will be incredible live!

Rating
4-5

‘Love Is Dead And We Killed Her’ is out now and can be downloaded from iTunes – https://music.apple.com/gb/album/love-is-dead-and-we-killed-her/1459583026

Love Is Dead And We Killed Her on Spotify

Mark My Words (Official Music Video)

Outta My Mind (Official Music Video)

We hope you’ve enjoyed our review! What do you think of this band’s third release? Are you as much of a fan as us? What would you rate it? Please leave your thoughts in a comment or via our social media.

Enjoyed this? Check out some of our other reviews here:

Muzik Speaks Album Reviews

Matt – Muzik Speaks
www.facebook.com/muzikspeaks
www.twitter.com/muzik_speaks

#Review: Emarosa – Peach Club 🍑

Matt Wright - Muzik SpeaksLeave a comment

facebook_logos_PNG19751.png    ios_homescreen_icon.png   app-icon2.png

Muzik Speaks Loves Hopeless Records - SmallerEmarosa are an alternative rock band from Kentucky, consisting of only original founding member, ER White (lead guitar), as well as Bradley Walden (lead vocals), Robert Joffred (bass) and Matthew Marcellus (rhythm guitar). The band have been through quite a few line up changes since their inception in 2006 and in 2016, signed to their current label, Hopeless Records. Now, 2019 sees the release of the band’s fifth studio album (and second through Hopeless Records), Peach Club. Here’s what we have to say about it…

EMAROSA - Peach Club.jpg

From the start of the opening track, ‘Givin’ Up’, it’s clear that Emarosa have made a definitive departure from their previous, alternative rock sound, favouring a moreretro synth, heavy bass and ascending pop-chorus sound on this latest record. What’s more, they’ve done it so effortlessly with the opening, no holds barred, funky guitar-drive pop anthem that even has a saxophone solo!

It’s very much a record of two halves – the first half is both strong and diverse but the second half, by comparison, is somewhat lacking in the same depth.

80s synths and vibes run prominently throughout the album – ‘Don’t Cry’ is a very synth-heavy track with some incredible, underlying guitar riffs and this wonderful, descending vocal melody to the chorus, whilst ‘So Bad’ has a glossy, 80s funk to it, both in terms of the guitar and beat, topped off with an overtly catchy chorus.

Possibly the best track on the record has to be ‘Cautious’ – the calm verse, with great falsetto vocals leads into an all-consuming and powerful chorus – the passion behind the lines, “I believe in ecstasy, but you might never love me,” honestly gives you goosebumps!

A couple of the tracks even give off a similar feel to You Me At Six – ‘Get Back Up’ has a vocal style like that of Josh Franceschi but there’s a hip hop-like beat behind the song – I hate to say it, but a rapper feature would actually sit quite well on this. Equally, the heavier parts of ‘Help You Out’ have those same YMAS vibes – dreamy falsetto vocal parts and a great clap-along breakdown.

Sonically, this is an album that’s about as far from their former selves as it can be, but it is also a record that demonstrates huge growth from the band and a relentless willingness to try out new sounds.

‘xo’ kind of marks a break and turning point in the record. It’s a song made up of just vocals and an electric guitar but it really shows off Bradley Walden‘s raw vocal talent. It’s a very different vibe to the rest of the album and has a soulful feel to it.

I hate to say it, but it’s from here on that things get a little weaker. ‘Hell Of It’ is definitely an album filler, and although it is a slight nod to their alternative rock roots, it’s very repetitive. ‘Comfortable’ somehow reminds of Seal’s ‘Kiss From A Rose’ in places – it’s rather atmospheric but never quite goes to the places it’s aiming to reach, and then kind of just fades out. ‘IW2DWY’ (aka I Wanna Die With You) also feels quite empty, lacking any sincerity. Instrumentally it’s probably the weakest track on the record too.

That being said, the album finishes a lot stronger, with ‘Wait, Stay’. It features delicate falsetto vocals and intricate guitar lines, building up into a far more full-on sound, than the previous few tracks, making for an epic close to the album. Its subtly catchy chorus makes it quite an understated yet big song.

Sonically, this is an album that’s about as far from their former selves as it can be, but it is also a record that demonstrates huge growth from the band and a relentless willingness to try out new sounds. They haven’t lost their credibility though – they’re still packing a vulnerability to their lyricism and putting enough edginess into the tracks to still show parts of their previous incarnations and due to its diversity, Peach Club is bound to have something you’ll love.

It’s been really interesting to see this band’s evolution with this latest release and it’s bound to pick up a whole new fan base along the way. I’ll be intrigued to see where the band take their sound next!

Rating
3.5

‘Peach Club’ is out now and can be downloaded from iTunes – https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/peach-club/1439380906

Peach Club on Spotify

Givin’ Up (Official Music Video)

Don’t Cry (Official Music Video)

We hope you’ve enjoyed our review! What do you think of the band’s latest album, Peach Club? Are you a fan? What would you rate it out of 5? Please leave your thoughts in a comment or via our social media.

Enjoyed this? Check out some of our other reviews here:

Muzik Speaks Album Reviews

Matt – Muzik Speaks
www.facebook.com/muzikspeaks
www.twitter.com/muzik_speaks

#Review: Trophy Eyes – The American Dream 🇺🇸

Matt Wright - Muzik SpeaksLeave a comment

   

facebook-like   Instagram

Muzik Speaks Loves Hopeless Records - SmallerTrophy Eyes are an Australian pop punk band consisting of John Floreani (lead vocals), Jeremy Winchester (bass guitar & backing vocals), Andrew Hallett (lead guitar), Kevin Cross (rhythm guitar) and Blake Caruso (drums). To date, the band have released 2 albums and an EP through Hopeless Records and this, The American Dream, is their third full-length album. Here’s what we have to say…

Trophy Eyes - The American Dream.jpg

The American Dream has a much more mature sound to it than either of the band’s previous releases. It’s somewhere in the vein of Sugarcult‘s Lights Out and You Me At Six‘s Cavalier Youth with some of Thirty Seconds To Mars‘ This Is War epicness thrown in.

The first track, ‘Autumn’, launches the album with a life-spanning and reflective tune that whilst it doesn’t quite burst into frantic action like so many other pop punk albums, sets a more impressive tone for the rest of the record.

Next comes ‘Something Bigger Than This’, a rather emotive track about being something more than we perceive and how life will make more sense at the end. It’s not crass or overly indulgent in insincerity like so many other bands – this feels real and honest.

In my opinion, ‘Friday Forever’ is by far the best track on the record – from it’s frantic, guitar-driven verses, to its suspenseful build-up into the powerhouse that is the chorus, this track just bursts at the seems with euphoric pop punk at its best. This is definitely a track to keep on repeat!

From epic choruses to emotive lyrics and powerful, pained vocals to punchy guitars, The American Dream is an album that will drive this band forward in their career.

Some of the other, most notable songs include: ‘More Like You’ which is certainly a crowd-pleaser, with its “woah ohs” but has the added depth of scream vocals; ‘You Can Count On Me’ is a definite summer anthem with its massive crescendo and satirical look at band life with the chorus hook, “Some of my friends sell drugs but I just sell sad songs to the ones who feel alone”; ‘Broken’ is a beautiful, ballad-esque track that has a understated yet very catchy chorus – a brilliantly-written track that’s very different to some of the other tracks on the album and ‘Lavender Bay’ feels very nostalgic with mellow, melodic verses and a big gang-vocal chorus singing about how the band won’t rest until they’ve “made it” with the addition of a key change!

The album has a beautifully rich and diverse tone to it – ‘A Cotton Candy Sky’ is an intensely dark and haunting song that feels a little out of place but it’s eerily captivating whilst ‘Tip Toe’ is a great little ballad.

‘I Can Feel It Calling’ is a monumental track, coming in at over 6 minutes in length and going through a range of sounds and displaying a variety of influences, bringing this stunning album to a wonderful close.

This is certainly an album you’ll have on repeat as there’s just so much to love about it! From epic choruses to emotive lyrics and powerful, pained vocals to punchy guitars, The American Dream is an album that will drive this band forward in their career, taking a slightly new direction but picking up new fans along the way. 2018 should be an exciting time for the Australian quintet!

Rating
4-5

‘The American Dream’ is out 27/07/18 and can be downloaded from iTunes – https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/the-american-dream/1382478709

The American Dream on Spotify

Available Friday 27th July 2018.

You Can Count On Me (Official Music Video)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gs_7y0ToBcU

We hope you’ve enjoyed our review! What do you think of the band’s latest album, The American Dream? Are you as much of a fan as us? What would you rate it out of 5? Please leave your thoughts in a comment below or via our social media.

Enjoyed this? Check out some of our other reviews here:

Muzik Speaks Album Reviews

Matt – Muzik Speaks
www.facebook.com/muzikspeaks
www.twitter.com/muzik_speaks