While the band name may be new, and this is their debut single, all three of the guys involved in this are no strangers to success in the NZ rock market as here we have a combination of drummer Nick Douch ({Ekko Park}) and multi-instrumentalists JP Carroll ({Swerve City}, {Arrays}) and Adrian Drew ({Investigator}). Both Adrian and JP are singers as well of course, but here Adrian takes the lead while JP is right behind with double-tracked vocals while we get the strong riffs we expect from JP, combined with the more commercial sound of Investigator with Nick always driving them forward. It is a very commercial number, as one would expect, and I was somewhat surprised to discover that some of the vocals are quite reminiscent of Feargal Sharkey, and indeed the song does contain some of that infectious energy The Undertones were known for.
Adrian says, “It’s about the haves and the have nots. A mass rally for the marginalized and undervalued to take a stand and be the designers of change.” Infectious, with a very strong production (which is what I would expect given who is involved) this is punchy with the expectation that when/if it is played live, it will be much more of a banger. The drums are always hitting hard with a very strong percussive element and no danger of just sitting back and providing time, the bass is chunky, guitars polished, and then the vocals bring it all together with the hooks ensuring we keep playing this on repeat. So, what’s next guys?
Rating: 8/10
