If you are a fan of heavy music
and metal, I hope you are paying attention to Australia.For a good number of years now there have
been some fantastic bands coming out of the land down under in the heavier
genres.Child is one of those
bands, hailing from Melbourne,
Australia.Let me tell you why you should pay attention
to them.
There is an easy, confident
swing and swagger to the tunes emanating from this trio.What do they sound like?I hear some Robin Trower and Jimi
Hendrix, especially the slower, more trippy tunes from those artists.There is definitely a bluesier feel to what
these guys do than most of what is considered stoner or psychedelic rock, so it
gives a nice uniqueness to their music.There is an understated groove going on as well and it is definitely not
the typical sound you expect of this genre.At the same time, though, songs like album opener “Trees” is pretty much
the quintessential stoner rock track.A
nice accomplishment indeed.
I love the guitar playing on
this album.It is very free flowing and
doesn't feel as though it is tied down to anything, that the guitar and its
player are channeling notes from the cosmos and fitting them into the music.The playing is very expressive and suits the
songs very well, alternating between blues flavored riffs and runs and almost
free form psychedelic journeys.The kind
of playing that allows you to put on the headphones, close your eyes, and just
move where the music goes.I have
listened to this album several times and each play reveals more subleties and
nuances in the music.This is very much
an album that you want to hear again and again.
The pacing of the music is in
the slower to mid-range tempos.No
blazing riffs galloping along at top speed here.In fact, there are moments within these songs
that almost feel reverential, as though the band is aware of what has come
before them and they are close to and honoring their roots.There are moments of absolute heaviness as
well, and there is a good balance between the two extremes throughout the
album.
Overall this is one of the
better releases I have heard this year.I was searching for music for my radio show when I found this and I'm
very happy that I stumbled across this release.Check them out on Bandcamp and throw a few bucks their way.This is a band that I will be following to
see what else they bring to us, and as always, hoping that they make it to the
States!
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