There is a small niche of music in the 90’s that got dissolved into various forms because of the internet. It transformed into shoegaze, slowcore, and other indie forms very quickly. There was a purer alt-rock and punk sound that The Cranberries created with, which The Pixies altered. This group is the holdout. And they have recreated an important stylistic sound with Won’t Be Leaving Here Today.
Start with Loud As A Siren. This is a song that enjoys being unique with the tonal quality of a melodic bassline and layered guitars. The vocalists voice is accentuated, is melodic and at a malleable register with the other instruments. This overlapping, waves on the beach sound is a beautiful kaleidoscope, getting richer as the song progresses. Great start to the album.
Opting for a quicker pace, the post-punk riff in All In is a fun one. Reverb on the sound bleeds into the vocals that keep it an interesting highlight. The energetic chorus is a memorable one, elastic in a sense that you expect it but would love to sing alone. The drum fills are fantastic, especially towards the chorus.
Heading to alt-rock
High High Fiving is what is makes alt-rockers like Sum-41 and early rock lords like Frank Black tick. A simple riff is followed by an addictive beat. The swerving bass is something that can be followed, with a proper, full baked chorus. This song is so headbang worthy, you would have to pay to stop me. The songs have progressively improved in this album, very well composed.
Who doesn’t love that Dave Grohl entry style beat? If you do, Too Much Too Many will be a song that will be on the top of your list. The drums thunder along, as the guitar riff occupies the space in between. The great progression allows for a very symphonic chorus, sticking out with their loud sound and catchy changes. The Black Sabbath style break at 1:50 is a transformative change in the track, sounds immense.
Pray for Rain has a superb rhythm section. The progression isn’t that common, so you’re hooked to a darker sound that creates a void for itself. The arpeggiated guitar section sometimes takes away from the vocals due to the similar pitch of the vocalist, but its part of their sound now. The pace of these songs make them really enjoyable, the bass and drums are doing a very impressive job filling the spaces of the riff, or vice-versa.
Adding another layer
Non Grata features two vocalists, with more of an alt-rock style from more of their punk style influences. Sounds like an early The Cure style progression in many moments. The chorus is especially much more melodic, this being a stark difference between other bands of this genre. The layered sound in the late 4 minute section with the vocals coming in strong make this track one of their best composed ones in terms of experimentation.
The Bottom Is Endless shifts the tempo and is a different faction of the spectrum of this genre. The sound in this one is much more refined in terms of punk riff delivery and the consequent rhythms. Bass sounds fantastic playing in a different pitch for the verse rhythm. The reverb on the guitar on these tracks is a great idea, sounds for a fuller rhythm section. The results of which sometimes become a little too monotonous when listened to one after the other.
Switch within the genre
Now this is what I’ve been waiting for. A serious jump in the style of rhythm and sound. It still remains within the post-punk movement of sound, yet sounds like a heavier Cranberries track. The bass shines in this track because of the assumed juxtaposition of the two sounds. Great heavy breakdown for this song. You’ll really enjoy Where Were You?.
With the riff having the energy of Killswitch Engage’s My Curse, this riff turns into something else. The sound of They Are Us is what can be uniquely described as the holdout. The choices in looping and creating choruses is dominant based on the chords and arpeggios they choose to chase. Some of their songs base themselves a bit too much on the reverb of the rhythm section of the guitar. Yet, they do manage to make their own mark with the sound they invariably create.
Listen to the holdout here:
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