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EP REVIEW
VERT "EP TWO"
1.
DARKEST
Release date:
www.vertonline.com
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Releasing their first EP last February and now following
closely with their second, VERT are
obviously out to make their mark, which has been suitably emphasized by a
number of choice support slots and a good showing in a local 'Battle Of The
Bands' contest. With a sound that harks back to a more traditional style of rock, it’s no surprise that they come across as being a little different to many emerging bands at the moment. Based around a fairly conventional song construction - which even has the welcome inclusion of guitar solos - the music has a pronounced blues rock feel to it (aptly demonstrated by the opener “Darkest”) and often takes you back to bands such as Atomic Rooster, early Uriah Heep or Ten Years After. But that said, it’s actually a comfortable fusion of old and new as there are a number of modern reference points - not least of all Incubus - that you can also detect in their blend. “Turn” continues the bluesy feel but becomes a little messy and cluttered in the chorus, with the riff doing one thing, the lead vocals doing another and the shouty backing vocals doing something else, the two vocals clashing badly and end up creating a minor irritant. The third song “Feeling” has a gentle opening which meanders between a relaxed calmness and far more energetic moments, the pulsating guitar parts being very similar to the beginning of Earthtone9’s “Binary101”. It’s a nice song that is spoiled by the vocals, which at times are painful and wildly fluctuate out of tune; it’s as if the song doesn’t suit his vocal range and he’s trying to sing out side of it. Closing the EP, “Should You?” bursts into life and carries much more vibrancy, coming across like a cross between Incubus and Wishbone Ash, with quite a funky kind of groove to it. So, a promising introduction to this new band from Telford in Shropshire who demonstrate an appetising fondness to traditional/blues rock with a modern twist. Although this EP is raw and slightly green, it’s underpinned by some pleasing tunes that are only occasionally let down by inconsistent vocals - developing them should reap huge dividends. Hey, besides all that it’s great to have guitar solo’s punctuating music once again!
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- Rigsby (4th September, 2003) |