This cannot be right. According to the information I have in front of me, this Wellington-based band was formed from a group of music students in 2017, started performing live in 2018, and their ages now range from 15 to 18! When a band sounds this good, yet somehow manages to make {White Nøise Mafia} look old, then we have something special on our hands. The line-up is Francesca Paget (vocals), Evan Strachan (keyboards), Frankie Hogan (drums), Bella Williams (guitar) and Chase Himiona (bass), and together they have produced a pop rocker which grabbed me from the first note to the last. It kicks off with a drum beat, some “oohs” and then we are in, and the first thing which grabs the listener are the vocals as Francesca has a style far beyond her years. They are rich, sumptuous, and packed full of emotion and demand attention from the off.

But what really makes this song work so well are the arrangements, as the band throw in plenty of staccato, with loads of breaks, making this a jagged monster which gets into the brain from the beginning and just stays there. It is edgy, vibrant, and just so much damn fun! In some ways they remind me of Avril Lavigne, and there is just no way a band should sound this polished, let alone have a song like this, at such a young age. I never cease to be amazed at the wonderful bands and music coming out of New Zealand, and it does not look as if that is going to change any time soon as here is yet another generation who are killing it. I am going to follow these guys with interest and am certainly intrigued to see what they come up with next. Now all we need is for someone to convince them they really need to play in Auckland when lockdown is over, please?

Rating: 8/10

Links:
https://www.thenight.nz/