This album grabbed me by surprise. So much 90s, but so solidly a sound for 2023. Out of Houston, Narrow Head has released two previous albums, both of which showed promise now fully realised on their latest full-length, Moments Of Clarity. Grunge-gaze or dreamy darkpop grunge or whatever you want to label it, their third full-length reveals a reflective yet forward thinking range that combines seminal 90s influences like Smashing Pumpkins, Ride, Hum, Quicksand, maybe Seaweed, and others to make a darkly seductive sound for these dissonant times. In addition to deeply personal lyrics that resonate on a universal level throughout the 12 infectious songs, Narrow Head lulls you in melodies that drench your cerebellum and hippocampus with something you recognise as a need. Resistance is futile.
Opening track The Real sets the tone – musically and lyrically. Tight loud/quiet grooves driven by walls of warm guitars, solid drums, and deep bass lines immediately reference the Pumpkins, but Jacob Duarte’s singing is a warmer concoction. A reflection on the difficulties of being true to who you are, Duarte asks, “How does it feel?/ To be you/ To be real.” The tension between the riffs and Duarte’s voice makes it impossible not to consider all the opposing possibilities of how to answer that question.
The title track follows with Duarte expanding his vocal range and maintaining the themes of the challenges of self discovery and connection in an often hostile and lonely environment. I’m such a sucker for this sound, that Sunny Day Real Estate catchiness that grabs your neck before it grabs your consciousness. That reference isn’t meant to be cheeky when the next track, Sunday, goes ever deeper, with percussionist Carson Wilcox creating a storm-ridden playground of groove for Duarte and band to jam and lay down those dreamy vocals. Next thing you know, though, Narrow Head takes a Deftones-like turn with Trepanation.
Duarte’s almost ethereal vocals are deceptively sweet while they convey often difficult subject matter, and the crunch on Trepanation hint at an undertone of rage that gets a fuller hearing later in the album’s heavier songs, Gearhead and Flesh & Solitude. It’s this range that puts Narrow Head in the same category as similarly addictive newer bands like Abrams, InTechnicolour, and perhaps even Astronoid. Breakup Song does what it’s supposed to do nestled there after Trepanation, slowing us down before the more sugar-pop infused rockers Fine Day and Caroline commence to sweep you off your grubby feet.
While The Comedown goes from quiet to grand, The World and Soft To Touch show Narrow Head’s quirkier sides, with seamlessly infused synths, effects, and drum machine programming. Having lived through the nineties during my formative 20s, I’m sure my bone-deep bias for the sounds Narrow Head taps into makes me an easy target for Moments Of Clarity. Nevertheless, the album is undeniably chock-full of caffeinated grooves and contemplative lyrics that create an enticing, gripping tension. Listening becomes an act of sublime catharsis. 8/10
Motive Black - Auburn (AFM Records) [Zak Skane]
Motive Black peels back the layers to reveal the dark and turbulent emotions that dwell in the heart of vocalist Elana Justin. In collaboration with Grammy winning guitarist/producer Nick Rowe (Bloodsimple, Vampire Weekend), the duo have reworked songs from Elana's former NewYork band, taking the music in a much heavier direction. Add special guests in the studio such as Marcos Curiel (guitars - P.O.D.), Ray Luzier (drums – Korn), and Carla Harvey (vocals – Butcher Babies), and something immensely powerful and visceral emerges
Lift Me Up starts this album on a hypnotic note introducing us with tribal drum grooves met with eastern sounding leads, whilst Carla Harvey and Elana Justin are weaving through the track in a seductive yet deadly manner. Carla Harvey's guest appearance on this track adds the Yin to the singers Yang by adding some harsh vocals in the main lines of the song whilst doubling on choruses to create some cynical harmonies. We definitely not going to get enough of this track…see what I did there. Broken instantly makes an absolute curve ball on the albums sound by going into a more pop punk meets hard rock. In the this track we get to hear one of the best vocal performances and choruses on this album.
Let Down ramps the heavy back into the mix with clanky bass sections, thrashy-hardcire crossover guitar riffs combined with the radio friendly hard rock choruses. Caged brings in some classic 90’s vibes with Ray Luzier doing some classic Faith no More style tom grooves whilst Elana’s choices of vocal melody and harmonies could make any fan of Janes Addiction gleam with pride. The rebellious thrash metal charged Cellophane pushes Elana’s vocal ability to new territory with the venom soaked harsh raspy verses to angsty soaring choruses. In this track we also get to see a new layer Ray Luzier drumming from firing an all cylinders by kicking off the song with some blast beats whilst throwing in his classic tom grooves to make his stamp on this songs.
Other highlights on this album is Bad Decisions which pushes the sound of this album into another direction by going into a dance metal crossover. The seductive verses met with electronic drum beats sound like they come from a Pierce Brosnan-era James Bond sound track but when it comes into the choruses the track goes into riff city and hard rock choruses. The tempos are spot on with the bouncy track Fake, again pushing the boundaries of their performance with Elana adding venom with very word she is producing, the guitars are performed with finesse and Ray in the pocket whilst pushing them tempos.
This is an album that takes what works and runs with it, with a team which members consists of Marcos Curie from POD and Ray Luzier famously from Korn complementing Elana Justins vocal range this is an force to be reckoned with. 7/10
From the off the self titled debut album from Swedish band Fredlös is dark and brooding, it’s a funereal lament accompanied by a sorrowful melody courtesy of a violin and nothing says Doom more than a violin. The first three songs Vat Varm Jord, Otto and Farsot have all the hallmarks of something worth listening to, female vocals sung in the bands native language adds to the atmosphere, all the more haunting due to the unfamiliar tongue. Throughout these opening tracks male vocals adorn the heavier elements of the songs, adding a touch of diversity to the proceedings; violin and a church organ precede dirge like guitar riffs as the music spins a tale; I know little of the band or it’s intent but a quick decoding of the song titles leads to a theme of hardship and despair. Suiting for a band that reminds me of one of my favourite acts, My Dying Bride.
Someone once told me that doom metal wasn’t, couldn’t be exciting but I beg to differ and the blend of folk, doom, multi layered instrumentation alongside male and female vocals that both duel and duet proves my point, you don’t get that song structure from continual blast beats and guttural vocals. From the fourth track, Missvaxt onwards things take a bit of a turn, whilst the main riff is still quite slow in and marching there’s an almost black metal sound to the bridge, it’s an interesting mix. Fredlös and Uprror follow both of which have taken the tempo up a step, male vocals take the lead on Fredlös performed by Erik Grawsio of Viking/black metal outfit Manegarm.
Requiem brings the album to a close and it’s giving it all, much like Undergang it’s taking the listener on quite the journey… and the violin is back !! Whilst that middle segment lost some of its excitement for me, that violin was sorely missed; nothing seems out of place, with its woodcut image on the cover to my hopefully correct interpretation of the song titles there’s a theme to this album of famine, plague and death and the music does it justice; I’ve added this album to my library and am most certainly going to be playing it for awhile. 7/10
Opening track The Real sets the tone – musically and lyrically. Tight loud/quiet grooves driven by walls of warm guitars, solid drums, and deep bass lines immediately reference the Pumpkins, but Jacob Duarte’s singing is a warmer concoction. A reflection on the difficulties of being true to who you are, Duarte asks, “How does it feel?/ To be you/ To be real.” The tension between the riffs and Duarte’s voice makes it impossible not to consider all the opposing possibilities of how to answer that question.
The title track follows with Duarte expanding his vocal range and maintaining the themes of the challenges of self discovery and connection in an often hostile and lonely environment. I’m such a sucker for this sound, that Sunny Day Real Estate catchiness that grabs your neck before it grabs your consciousness. That reference isn’t meant to be cheeky when the next track, Sunday, goes ever deeper, with percussionist Carson Wilcox creating a storm-ridden playground of groove for Duarte and band to jam and lay down those dreamy vocals. Next thing you know, though, Narrow Head takes a Deftones-like turn with Trepanation.
Duarte’s almost ethereal vocals are deceptively sweet while they convey often difficult subject matter, and the crunch on Trepanation hint at an undertone of rage that gets a fuller hearing later in the album’s heavier songs, Gearhead and Flesh & Solitude. It’s this range that puts Narrow Head in the same category as similarly addictive newer bands like Abrams, InTechnicolour, and perhaps even Astronoid. Breakup Song does what it’s supposed to do nestled there after Trepanation, slowing us down before the more sugar-pop infused rockers Fine Day and Caroline commence to sweep you off your grubby feet.
While The Comedown goes from quiet to grand, The World and Soft To Touch show Narrow Head’s quirkier sides, with seamlessly infused synths, effects, and drum machine programming. Having lived through the nineties during my formative 20s, I’m sure my bone-deep bias for the sounds Narrow Head taps into makes me an easy target for Moments Of Clarity. Nevertheless, the album is undeniably chock-full of caffeinated grooves and contemplative lyrics that create an enticing, gripping tension. Listening becomes an act of sublime catharsis. 8/10
Motive Black - Auburn (AFM Records) [Zak Skane]
Motive Black peels back the layers to reveal the dark and turbulent emotions that dwell in the heart of vocalist Elana Justin. In collaboration with Grammy winning guitarist/producer Nick Rowe (Bloodsimple, Vampire Weekend), the duo have reworked songs from Elana's former NewYork band, taking the music in a much heavier direction. Add special guests in the studio such as Marcos Curiel (guitars - P.O.D.), Ray Luzier (drums – Korn), and Carla Harvey (vocals – Butcher Babies), and something immensely powerful and visceral emerges
Lift Me Up starts this album on a hypnotic note introducing us with tribal drum grooves met with eastern sounding leads, whilst Carla Harvey and Elana Justin are weaving through the track in a seductive yet deadly manner. Carla Harvey's guest appearance on this track adds the Yin to the singers Yang by adding some harsh vocals in the main lines of the song whilst doubling on choruses to create some cynical harmonies. We definitely not going to get enough of this track…see what I did there. Broken instantly makes an absolute curve ball on the albums sound by going into a more pop punk meets hard rock. In the this track we get to hear one of the best vocal performances and choruses on this album.
Let Down ramps the heavy back into the mix with clanky bass sections, thrashy-hardcire crossover guitar riffs combined with the radio friendly hard rock choruses. Caged brings in some classic 90’s vibes with Ray Luzier doing some classic Faith no More style tom grooves whilst Elana’s choices of vocal melody and harmonies could make any fan of Janes Addiction gleam with pride. The rebellious thrash metal charged Cellophane pushes Elana’s vocal ability to new territory with the venom soaked harsh raspy verses to angsty soaring choruses. In this track we also get to see a new layer Ray Luzier drumming from firing an all cylinders by kicking off the song with some blast beats whilst throwing in his classic tom grooves to make his stamp on this songs.
Other highlights on this album is Bad Decisions which pushes the sound of this album into another direction by going into a dance metal crossover. The seductive verses met with electronic drum beats sound like they come from a Pierce Brosnan-era James Bond sound track but when it comes into the choruses the track goes into riff city and hard rock choruses. The tempos are spot on with the bouncy track Fake, again pushing the boundaries of their performance with Elana adding venom with very word she is producing, the guitars are performed with finesse and Ray in the pocket whilst pushing them tempos.
This is an album that takes what works and runs with it, with a team which members consists of Marcos Curie from POD and Ray Luzier famously from Korn complementing Elana Justins vocal range this is an force to be reckoned with. 7/10
Infinite And Divine - Ascendancy (Frontiers Music Srl) [Mark Young]
From Malmö, Sweden Infinite And Divine are a two-piece offering up hard rock and metal in a melodic style. Already at this point I’m feeling uneasy because in my house you are either hard rock or metal. I know it is limiting in the kind of music I listen to, but you know I like what I like and its metal. And 60’s psychedelia.
So here we go with Infinite And Divine who offer what could be described as EU driving music. We have keyboards and riffing guitars that are loud at the right point and are competent in delivery and in some ways remind of latter Deep Purple (the Deep Purple stuff I’m not keen on). We have breathy vocals that remind me of Roxette but it is just so… meh. There is nothing approaching metal until you get to Silent Revolution which has a metallic sheen, but the song structure is so similar to the others it barely qualifies.
Each of the songs are just so inoffensive to the point that they could have appeared in an 80’s coming of age film or a training montage atop a snowy mountain whilst dragging a cart. It is entirely possible that I will have to throw the towel in on this one because I don’t want it to be an exercise in me taking the Michael out of this band especially when they have expended effort in writing, arranging, and performing the music here.
Of the eleven songs here, there are probably 4 that move in a way I would consider rock, but the rest are just by the numbers which will have a market somewhere, but it just does nothing for me at all. 5/10
Fredlös - Fredlös (Threedown) [James Jackson]
From Malmö, Sweden Infinite And Divine are a two-piece offering up hard rock and metal in a melodic style. Already at this point I’m feeling uneasy because in my house you are either hard rock or metal. I know it is limiting in the kind of music I listen to, but you know I like what I like and its metal. And 60’s psychedelia.
So here we go with Infinite And Divine who offer what could be described as EU driving music. We have keyboards and riffing guitars that are loud at the right point and are competent in delivery and in some ways remind of latter Deep Purple (the Deep Purple stuff I’m not keen on). We have breathy vocals that remind me of Roxette but it is just so… meh. There is nothing approaching metal until you get to Silent Revolution which has a metallic sheen, but the song structure is so similar to the others it barely qualifies.
Each of the songs are just so inoffensive to the point that they could have appeared in an 80’s coming of age film or a training montage atop a snowy mountain whilst dragging a cart. It is entirely possible that I will have to throw the towel in on this one because I don’t want it to be an exercise in me taking the Michael out of this band especially when they have expended effort in writing, arranging, and performing the music here.
Of the eleven songs here, there are probably 4 that move in a way I would consider rock, but the rest are just by the numbers which will have a market somewhere, but it just does nothing for me at all. 5/10
Fredlös - Fredlös (Threedown) [James Jackson]
From the off the self titled debut album from Swedish band Fredlös is dark and brooding, it’s a funereal lament accompanied by a sorrowful melody courtesy of a violin and nothing says Doom more than a violin. The first three songs Vat Varm Jord, Otto and Farsot have all the hallmarks of something worth listening to, female vocals sung in the bands native language adds to the atmosphere, all the more haunting due to the unfamiliar tongue. Throughout these opening tracks male vocals adorn the heavier elements of the songs, adding a touch of diversity to the proceedings; violin and a church organ precede dirge like guitar riffs as the music spins a tale; I know little of the band or it’s intent but a quick decoding of the song titles leads to a theme of hardship and despair. Suiting for a band that reminds me of one of my favourite acts, My Dying Bride.
Someone once told me that doom metal wasn’t, couldn’t be exciting but I beg to differ and the blend of folk, doom, multi layered instrumentation alongside male and female vocals that both duel and duet proves my point, you don’t get that song structure from continual blast beats and guttural vocals. From the fourth track, Missvaxt onwards things take a bit of a turn, whilst the main riff is still quite slow in and marching there’s an almost black metal sound to the bridge, it’s an interesting mix. Fredlös and Uprror follow both of which have taken the tempo up a step, male vocals take the lead on Fredlös performed by Erik Grawsio of Viking/black metal outfit Manegarm.
It’s worth noting that Entombed guitarist Alex Hellid is amongst the lineup and that death metal influence can be heard throughout this midsection of the album. Undergang brings back the melancholy without the violin, relying on a lead melody and stripped down instrumentals backing the female vocals once more before building into a more distorted element, it’s a rollercoaster of a track building and falling but always haunting. The penultimate track, Deus is quite a Folk, reminding me of Skald, a spoken word interlude with a steady solitary drum beat accompanied by an instrument which sounds like to my untrained ear an accordion; I’m most likely wrong there but whatever it is, it works.
Requiem brings the album to a close and it’s giving it all, much like Undergang it’s taking the listener on quite the journey… and the violin is back !! Whilst that middle segment lost some of its excitement for me, that violin was sorely missed; nothing seems out of place, with its woodcut image on the cover to my hopefully correct interpretation of the song titles there’s a theme to this album of famine, plague and death and the music does it justice; I’ve added this album to my library and am most certainly going to be playing it for awhile. 7/10
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