The Surrenders | Maybe There'll Be Blood | Single Review

The Surrenders have just dropped their latest single 'Maybe There'll Be Blood'.

The Birmingham four piece have had a successful year playing a handful of shows and festivals. Following on from their last single 'Shouldn't Have To Dig' which had more of a The Rolling Stones feel to it, this new track shows a new and fresh side to The Surrenders. On a first listen Maybe There'll Be Blood is a repetitive yet extremely catchy song, but the more you listen to it the more you realise its brush of genius as it subtly flavours different genres.

Lyrically the song has some darker undertones with a subtle humorous twist that contrasts with the upbeat rhythm that pours from the instrumentation. "It's an expose on the uncertantity of modern times, but a fun one at that." Vocally frontman Connor Brooks shows a larger vocal range within this track; from melodic grace to to sing-shouting the chorus "maybe there'll be blood, maybe there wont",  accompanied by some punkish harmonies from the rest of the band.

There is a simple and effective repetitive bass line throughout the track that plays a huge part. Each instrument really shines through within this song and yet none outshine the other. A perfect balance that creates this funky rock and roller track. We've seen The Surrenders show a more progressive sound in previous tracks, but this song really sticks out as something new. The raw roomy drum sound mixed with a fuzzy low fi lead guitar gives it an almost punk edge with a mix of some really early rock and roll. The descending quick chords in the pre chorus hint at early 2000s The Libertines vibes. The guitar has it's golden moment towards the end of the song as Rich Jones shreds away. 

The Surrenders are among the few bands that appear to boldly take a strong influence from the past and weave it through their music with a modern twist. It's a modern day rock n roll band for the youth with old souls. 'Maybe there'll Be Blood' is a solid banger that deserves to be played as loud as ya speakers will crank it! This song is going to be one that gives the room an electric energy and gets the audience singing and dancing like it's their last night on earth.

For fans of Led Zeppelin, The Doors, Hendrix etc, The Surrenders are a band you've got to check out. The Surrenders are set to support Trampoline on the This Feeling: Alive Tour.

You can get your tickets for the alive tour here

Listen to Maybe There'll Be Blood here

Review & photography by Holly Beson-Tams.

NAKED SIX | No Compromise | EP Review

NAKED SIX recently blessed us with their debut EP 'No Compromise', a beautiful blend of grunge and rock that'll keep you gripped from start to finish.

The Manchester based three piece released their EP at the end of October, No Compromise displays only a fraction of the wild energy that is Naked Six. One of the best live bands around they put in 110% energy, wether they're playing to a handful of people in a vintage store or a sweaty gig space full of heads. They blow everyone away with each show and are garenteed to walk off stage having gained new fans. This November you can find them at a handful of dates supporting Vintage Caravan followed by a main support tour for The Amorettes. 

If you've seen them live a couple of times recently you may recognise some of the tracks off of the EP. The EP begins with the title track No Compromise. Naked Six have always stuck out as a band that seems to take influence from a wide variety of genre, within any of their songs I can hear something subtle that appears to be a  blend of the best parts of so many amazing genres. You can hear bluesy/fuzz rock elects within the guitar and bass (think BRMC, The Raconteurs etc), heavy grunge vocals and drums that could stem from the 90s Seattle scene, classic British rock and roll, subtle hints of prog, so much more. 

Tear Away picks up the pace to a new level, Seb Byford's vocals are practically spat out with punk attitude during the verses to keep up with the rhythm of the song, giving a whole new layer to the bands display of sound. This is one of the tracks that really allow drummer Tom Witts' talent to shine through.  Let It Out slows everything down after Tear Away, with a soft guitar riff leading us into the track. The song to be could be straight out of the 90s. Paired with the last track on the EP, Who Am I To You, the two songs display a further range to Byford's vocal ability. 

Unwind is probably my favourite song off of the EP, and to see live,  it's full of exciting vibrate energy from start to finish. Having spent the past year as a two piece, bringing Callum Chesterman-Witts' in on bass has done wonders to their live performance and added a necessity to the EP. Check out their EP and catch them at one of their shows!

Listen to the EP here

Review & photography by Holly Beson-Tams.