Today’s quality discovery has a beautifully appropriate title considering the rush the track gives you when you listen at full volume. Forte are a band based in London, and Goosebumps is just one of many superb indie-rock tracks they’ve put out over the past twelve months.
The sound itself has all the best parts of indie and rock – the riffs, the live and organic drum sound, the skillful and characterful leading vocal – plus all the strength and memorability of excellent songwriting. The track develops through the use of a somewhat mellow verse section; telling the story, building the soundscape, then soon enough evolving into a full on, high energy song with a stunning chorus section.
The way the track opens up is a big part of what grabs your attention. The drum has a distant and dreamlike feel to it, and what follows is more and more of that reflective and dreamlike essence that reinforces the genuine honesty and emotion that the band craft their tracks with. The sharp, rock-infused edge alongside all of this creates a striking contrast. Furthermore, the hook is a stunner – it uses a fairly simple yet effective melody, and the leading vocal presenting it utilises every ounce of passion and power to reinforce the height of the rising energy. The instrumentation, too; everything surrounding these crucial moments adds weight to the final effect.
As always, the music is particularly effective due to the crisp and striking finish of the recording. It’s a production job well done; the live band sound remains – the passion, the energy, the fullness – yet it all comes through with absolute clarity. Goosebumps is a beauty, the reverb soaked guitar riff stays with you long after listening, as does the hook, and the overall feeling the music gives you.
Download tracks from the Forte catalogue via iTunes. Find and follow the band on Facebook and Twitter.
