The band’s sound is classic, not instrumentally groundbreaking but strong enough to impress and entertain. What gives them their edge though is the songs, the approach, the heart.
Indie Rock
Creatively walking multiple lines between raw indie rock and dreamlike shoe-gaze or grunge, James Dean Death Machine presents a notably live sound on this album Leave a Pretty Corpse – inviting the listener to stand front and centre as this rain of bass-lines, beats and vocal grit pours down before them.
Boo Cat is alternative, for sure – appealing for its edgy weirdness & the way the music & the voices do whatever the hell they need to. At the same time, the melody is undoubtedly something of an ear-worm – I’d be surprised if anyone could walk away not humming at least one line from the song.
Pushing the shoegaze boat out far into the creative distance, sweetsoak immerse their sound in lashings of reverb for this latest single – presenting the melodic and rhythmic qualities of rock through a dreamlike wash of warmth and lightness.
You get a notable sense of identity from the sound, and the voice seems inherently connected to the lyrics, so the whole thing just works in the way that you’d hope your favourite band’s music to – each time you return to it.
The various stages of the song each seem to surprise and yet satisfy, suggesting there is hope for the future of songwriting and that there is undoubtedly plenty of creativity left to emerge as 2019 peaks its head around the corner.
Music is in for some immense and positive changes in the near future, rock music in particular, and The Twelve AM are easily a welcomed part of that process.
The song’s latter half builds up brilliantly, the energy multiples and sweeps you away in the process – making for that perfect musical escapism and providing the necessary energy levels to fill the room and motivate even the tiredest of listeners.
The raw energy and vibrancy of real rock and roll is well and truly due a comeback right about now; The Former Knights are undoubtedly working on that for all of us.
It’s a raw sound, it sounds live – something you don’t get too much of these days. You can hear the band in real time, and the unity between the bass, the guitars, the melody, and the drums – a brilliant performance on the drums – is easy to get on board with.
Some of the most common mistakes we make in life are those which are just so naturally human but that, at the time, make us feel like we’re the only ones going that way. This song addresses issues & recurring negative thoughts in a way that makes you feel part of something, more normal perhaps; less alone.
In among a world of squeaky clean, electronically built records, this release brings about the familiar tones of a simpler time for music fans who miss the way that felt.