The Velveteers - Nightmare Daydream (Easy Eye Sound)
When I watched The Velveteers in Cardiff their fuzzy, psychedelic garage rock was intense and exhilarating to watch. Since then they have built up a cult following and a bigger audience with the incendiary live shows and innovative music videos that caught the attention of The Black Keys' Dan Auerbach. He invited then to his studio to record and handled the production on Nightmare Daydream The Velveteers' debut full length record. Comprised of the intelligent, virtuoso, baritone guitar playing and sneering vocals of Demi Demitro along with twin drummers Baby Pottersmith and Jonny Fig. The Velveteers have a very intriguing sound, which is what drew Auerbach to the band.
Demitro's guitar playing is brave and experimental doing riffs that are a little off kilter while the twin drum punch is what drives the grooves on tracks like Bless Your Little Heart, while Charmer And The Snake, co-written with Auerbach, has a throbbing late night blues feel to it as Brightest Light is an acoustic interlude in the middle of the album that feels like a MTV Unplugged Session. As the second part of the album kicks off with What A Smile Can Hide that primal rock sound comes back with a force Pottersmith and Fig in a forceful unison as Demitro fires off more fuzz drenched riffing, that switches out for psych soundscapes on the title track. With a wide ranging soundscape present here is The Velveteers' announcing themselves as one of the best young bands in the rock. If you love artists such as The Black Keys or Jack White then welcome to the Nightmare Daydream. 8/10
Blackwater Holylight - Silence/Motion (RidingEasy Records)
Third album from Blackwater Holylight is their most experimental offering yet. Both expansive and intimate Silence/Motion encapsulates both of the sides of the title across the 7 psychedelic/post rock offerings here. The repeating, evocative riff of Delusional opens the record in a slow burning fashion the savage grunts of Thou's Bryan Funck contradicting the haunting voice of Allison Faris, on the finale Every Corner features Mike Paparo (Inter Arma) and A.LN. (Mizmor, Hell) with more aggressive vocals. After that Floydian opening Who The Hell brings a pulsating dark synth arpeggio from Sarah McKenna invoking Siouxsie And The Banshees along with Tangerine Dream and as it shifts into Silence/Motion the introspective nature of this record is almost overwhelming, taking cues from bands such as Radiohead with lyrical inspiration from trying to understand and deal with sexual assault.
It's possibly this record's darkest moment, but also it's most beautiful. Much of the album revolves around dealing with grief, the harrowing voice of Faris countered by her bass/guitar (on four tracks) as she trades between both instruments with Mikayla Mayhew (who plays bass where Faris handles six strings), Eliese Dorsay's percussive prowess on show for everyone with songs like the grooving dream pop of Falling Faster. Silence/Motion is Blackwater Holylight's coming-of-age record, their journey into the unknown. Imagine a soundtrack to a David Lynch film not yet made and you'll understand what magic to expect on Silence/Motion. 8/10
Persona - Animal (Self Released)
On their last album Metamorphosis, Tunisian metal band (though now based in Germany), did as their album title said and shifted their sound. Whereas their debut was Middle Eastern influenced symphonic metal, on the follow up they made things much heavier, with a lot of down tuned grooving riffage, much more progressive compositions and more versatility in the vocals of front woman Jelena Dobric who incorporated screams along with her soaring classical cleans. Now on to their third full length Persona are persisting with this 'modern metalcore' style while still having the symphonic flourishes of their debut. Animal begins with some precision riffage from co-founding members (along with Jelena), Melik Khelifa (lead guitars) and Yosri Ouad (rhythm guitars), unleashing the bands current, forceful, modern metal approach.
Tracks such as You Can't Stop Me and Oracle, skillfully shows you what 2021 Persona are about, soaring clean vocals on the chorus hook as the down-tuned bass lines of Eike Nehen grind away, Simon Schröder's powerful drumming carrying the muscular rhythms of this album, Oracle especially having a Gothic/progressive sound, full of tempo shifts. For those wanting out and out thrashing should check out Ghost or the title track but Persona are not a one note act allowing ballads such as Shadows which is primarily Jelena showing her vocal prowess as she accompanies herself with a solitary piano as the track becomes full of atmospheric synths. Animal is Persona continuing on their heavy path without losing the symphonic/progressive elements. 8/10
Muddibrooke - Lunacy (Self Released)
Grunge/alt rock trio Muddibrooke, have finally released their debut EP. Entitled, Lunacy it's packed with five riffy, hooky, alt rockers with a keen ear for melody and a streak of feminist attitude. The band are Harriet McDonnell (lead vocals/guitar) who goes under the nickname of Brooke (ergo the band name), she is flanked by Anna Melidone (bass) and Mary Prince (drums) and they have only been a band since January 2020, however in that time they have been featured on BBC and Kerrang Radio. So they've spent a year honing their sound and what they have come up with is a thrilling mix of Skunk Anansie, Pearl Jam and Halestorm, the powerful vocals of Brooke the bands clarion call on the punky, sleazy Liverpool Guy.
The EP is linked by the idea of what it sounds like to be one of society's rejects and how to pick yourself after falling down. The swaggering confidence displayed on Liverpool Guy is offset by the jangling, emotional Devil which opens the EP, the introspective, angsty lyrics set against the open chords and haunting shuffle. These feelings of distance and isolation made more real by the fact that the band recorded this EP separately from each other so they have yet to play together in front of an audience something that is being rectified this year, with a few dates left and more to be announced.
From the sound of this EP, Muddibrooke have crafted this EP to play well in a live arena, Straight Jacket having the groove of Kiwi's Devilskin or Skunk Anasie, it's followed by Turn To Dust which is a song that strips back their sound into a keening grunge ballad while Fake It speaks of daily struggles and putting on a brave face. Lunacy is an EP that displays the talent of this Derby trio, alt rock with grunge tendencies, put through a fresh lense and forward thinking mindset. Welcome Muddibrooke with open arms, I can see their trajectory only soaring from here. 7/10
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