Most people would say that the best feeling
in the world is self-accomplishment. Or to love someone. Not me (which is risky
knowing my girlfriend sees what I write.) The greatest feeling in the world for
a music addict like me is hearing a song for the first time, and
instantaneously knowing that you’re going to be listening to it for a long time
coming.
And that’s exactly what happened when I
first pressed play on King Purple’s
newest single, Stuck in the Rough. Upon hearing previous releases of theirs, I
was filled with anticipation. The unique alt-rock trio are an interesting blend
of psychedelic panache and indie incredibleness. Even if they had credible
competition, they would almost certainly rise to become the greatest musicians
to ever originate from Northamptonshire. Hoping they would continue their
undying reign on my ‘Smaller Bands that Deserve to be Bigger’ playlist, I sat
comfortably with my small face speakers in (or earphones if that’s what you call
them) and braced for excellence.
From the off, a relaxing tone is set by the
ambient plucking of strings, with the singer letting out a note so smooth, even
the most renowned singers would be left questioning their own talent. It’s rare
for an indie band like King Purple to
feature a lead singer with such awe-inspiring ability. Nonetheless, they allow
their tune to adopt the veritable power of his voice, as if it has always
belonged within the family of alternative music. The opening is stylistically as
if Tame Impala ditched the pretentious neo-psychedelia voice filter and replaced
their synthesizers with conventional guitars.
The song continues for another 5 minutes,
mixing vibes that feature prolonged, reverberating bass lines with shorter,
snappier licks and progressions. Effectively echoey, Stuck in the Rough refuses
to settle for one melodic pace. It’s one of those that you really feel; the
music truly grips you- it forces your head to move with mellow yet fierce
avidity. You don’t know you’re doing it, but your neck is stiff, your head is swaying
slowly with sheer infatuation for what you’re hearing. The music is intimate,
and the vibes are flowing. Goosebumps possess your body- I’ll stop there. But it
isn’t just a song, it’s an experience. If you have never felt so passionate with
the pleasure of such sound, I can only offer my condolences. Mainly because if
you haven’t, I must seem like right weirdo.
And as if the song isn’t enough, the band
have released a music video to accompany the song and, in all honesty, I was
mesmerized by it. As if a toddler, the colours and fragmented imagery left my
mouth hanging a little. That and the music put together…you can imagine the
collected dribble on my chin as I felt 5 minutes of pure soundgasm. 5 minutes! Not
many bands can tailor a tune with significant class for that long.
King
Purple are a band I can see producing nothing but
genius in the future. And I expect nothing less from such a talented group of
people. They are three people that deserve nothing but praise for their commendable
contributions to musical hemisphere so far.
You can check Stuck in the Rough
and their other music here:
Review by Sam Hatherley
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