Presented in the form of a mix of genres from ballads, to alternative rock or metal, the latest EP from Concrete Armbands does not disappoint, surprising the listener in a variety of crescendos and tempo changes.
A Sheffield-based, alternative rock band at its origins released their EP on the 19 July an Anti-therapy of day-to-day struggles in the modern world, with songs dedicated towards the effects of technology, and how face to face interactions have become a hard to achieve luxury.
Astrological elements define an atmosphere of fantasy in ‘Satellites’ with a steady rhythm and soothing lyrics. It is an easy starter for an energetic EP full of variances that mark a refreshing musical experience.
Their very first single as a band appears on the EP; ‘The Brink’ exhilarates with an amazing beat. The baseline guitar combined with the vocals creates a thrilling piece that truly motivates you to go to one of their gigs.
In the same manner, the song ‘…Like Russian dolls’ combines a slow start with an epic ending, in a surprising mix of genres. The lyrics describe digital problems in modern society, the difficulty of having ‘great conversations’. On the side of the spectrum, ‘Bud’ presents a more cheerful and tranquil tone, even though the lyrics alternate feelings of uncertainty with rhetorical questions.
The album ends with a ‘God complex: I. Serenity Station, II. The Universal, III. And the Music Gets Louder, IV. Ego Death’, an eight and a half minute song that resembles ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ in terms of merging different styles, harmonies and genres. At first, it has a slow rhythm followed by a crescendo precipitating the listener into an energetic ending with an electric guitar.
The vocals remind a lot of Muse with lead singer Josh Teggert’s hoarseness and the lyrics are extremely relatable to our digitally renowned generation. However, the members still lack the professionalism in writing lyrics; there are some songs such as ‘Satellites’ or ‘God Complex’ that need some word polishing. At times, it felt that sentences took more than three lines and it ruined the listening experience.
With a truly promising debut on Spotify, Concrete Armbands’ album feels energetic and captivating in its entirety. By the end of it, you’ll end up wanting to hear more than five songs from them and even see their live performances.
Rating: 4/5
EP Review: Concrete Armbands – Anti-Therapy
