Following the release of their superb new single Cilice, we were blessed with the chance to interview new alt rock outfit Local Man Dies to find out more about the music, the song, and their hopes for the future. Here’s the conversation in full. * * * Hi guys, thanks for the interview! For those … Continued
Alt Rock
Offering over forty minutes of raw, in the moment rock composition, instrumental & experimental, this session from Croatian alternatives Saddle On The Bomb is undoubtedly a thing of artistry.
The issues we face today lay heavy on the mind, rightfully so, and art often seems like the only way to relieve ourselves of that weight. Pragmatic encapsulates a lot of those concerns, lyrically and in terms of the fullness and volume of the collection. A concept hard at work.
It’s a moment of power and darkness, but it brings through a kind of nineties-style nostalgia, a vintage driving ballad bravado, that you can’t help but crave a little more of once it comes to an end.
It rocks along, chock-full of character and has swagger to spare. Beholden to a wealth of sounds and songs that you think you can half-remember, it somehow carves a furrow all its own. Excellent fun!
We are talking impassioned vocals. We are talking some pretty meaty riffing on guitar. All wrapped up in some smart production, great songwriting and a healthy little shot of gently snarling punky attitude. But it’s got mood and heart, and tunes and thoughtful lyrics, too.
ITCH are a band you’re going to want to scratch again and again. Fearlessly inventive and full of vim and vigour, musical nous and style. Go for it!
The Other Side Of Love showcases a distinct set of qualities that appeal on a deep and addictive level. The opening guitar delicacy, the gentle rasp and increasing passion of the leading voice, the poetic and thoughtful lyrics, the rising intensity, the eventual raw rock energy; all of this works gorgeously within.
In Holy Ghost, we have an extraordinary single. It seems to want to ignore conventional structure (and conventional wisdom) to be a stand-alone sonic delight.
“The song explodes into its final field, reverting back to this idea of the land of hope and glory, these references to death and suffering; the music is heavy and chaotic, vibrant and loud, and the vocal offers a similar level of madness and desperation as the words pour through.”
It’s a dizzying and somewhat psychedelic experience, building to a schizophrenic whirlwind of deliberate dissonance and beauty that’s mashed together before being led to a marching string finale. It’s a singular listening experience that I‘d whole-heartedly recommend, with an extraordinary accompanying video that provides a complementary, slightly unnerving experience. Try both!
He uses his voice for texture as much as for carving out an individual niche as a vocalist and I’m led to the conclusion that Ete serves the song. Whatever is needed to serve the song is the right artistic choice, and I can only applaud decisions like that with all my heart.