The Vickers

Italian band The Vickers have recently released their airy new LP 'Ghosts'. It is seemingly kaleidoscopic but it has entangled other elements which really highlight them as one to watch.

The album opens with 'Shes lost', a dreamy, light song which is easy on the senses. Its appealing through its incandescent allure; high-pitched notes plucked from the heart and soothing lyrics which bolt icy shivers down your spine alerting you to the power their notes are holding. A different feeling is achieved in the second track 'I Don't Know What It Is' through a sort of hippie feel. You know when you just feel pure elation through music and it feels like it can't possibly be real, well this is it. The psychedelic tones are the main structure for the feeling but the voice, oh the voice. It becomes real and wraps its arms around you, holding you tightly. The slowing of the waves of melodies in the centre of the song is sort of like a breather, almost as if the band were expecting you to become detached from reality and they left some time for you to remember your place in life.

'Senseless Life' gives this exact image. You start to feel the senselessness of the band, not in the way they make music but it is more as if a detachment to reality. The band themselves have begun to fall into their own rabbit hole which they've created. 'It Keeps Going On and On' is slightly darker with the guitar sounding almost Western, each note plunging, taking the remaining instruments briefly with it. The vocals also have become tinted, the drums more thrashy and we see a somber side to the gang.

'All I Need' is a bit like Kasabian's Velociraptor. The song is the sound version of an optical illusion, repetitive melodies warping around you, vibrating your skin and making your hair stand on end. 'Hear Me Now' continues the maddening melodies yet the voice sounds completely different in this track. It sounds lighter and slightly electric, as though energy is running through it. Although it probably is,the band has demonstrated some serious ability and power, I wouldn't surprised if his voice did have its own electric current.

'Inside a Dream' opens with very dreamy vocals. The music goes hand in hand with it, the melodies seem as though they're not sure who they are or who to be. They want to be hard and outspoken yet they want to dreamy and luscious. The two factors create a twisted composition which you feel obliged to listen to. 'Walking On a Rope' is the keeper of polychromatic melodies, kaleidoscopic verses and just a tint of hallucination. Its an odd beauty this track holds but it is a very defined one.

'Total War' slows the whole album down with lethargic beats and melancholy vocals yet as the warped tune gently speeds up you are able to feel a sense of greatness about this track which gradually captures your breath and locks it away. This would have been a killer track to leave it but it seems the band have more juice to pump out in 'Ghosts'. It begins otherworldly with foreign noises taking the soundscape but the chugging beat again takes centre stage and a distorted song strolls along and takes your mind with it. It might not have been the best track to leave on when there were better available but it definitely does leave you with a good feeling.

Like the band on Facebook, follow their Twitter or check out their Bandcamp.

em, (@emiemzy)

Ahuizotl

Ahuizotl (au-wi-zot-l) is a German indie rock band comprising of Barry Langer (guitar and vocals), Christof Schulte (drums), Stefan Ebbers (bass), Felix Hedderich (keyboards). The band have been working on their new album 'Integrity Is Overrated'  which is released today.

The album opens with a vibrating electronic space sound, a repeated strum accompanied by another quick, constant strum stirring in the background. As soon as the raspy voice kicks in you realise that the album has an air of promise, thoroughly proven in 'Ghosts of Departed Quantities'. 'Movie' follows, opening with isolated guitar notes and then bouncing drums along with what sounds like a sincere chorus. 'Everybody's Breaking Up So Why Don't We' is a song tinged with sorrow and an air of an uncommitted attitude. The attitude is thoroughly shown within the song through the laid back melodies that seem to just be a flow of emotion.
'Slide' shows a slide in genre. The tones of the track are softer and gentle, revealing a different edge to the band. 'I Wanna Be Ignored', a track which squeezes out the bands juices as a light buzz backs the songs giving you a feeling like that of the lightheadedness when drunk and an interesting instrumental is full of a symphony of different notes form different instruments. The song loiters a bit near the end, as if it doesn't want to end but this could possibly be the best track on the album.


'Perfect Day' holds an echoing techno noise which changes the shape of the song; 'Go Away From Under My Cloud', while sounding like the Rolling Stones song, holds contrasting drum beats that holds your attention; 'Self Made' and 'Nice' both share the same staple sounds. These four tracks are where you can see the bands youth, however, it wouldn't take much effort to improve them to meet the standards they have created through their other tracks.
The album finishes with 'Decadence Will Save Us All', a song which comes in waves, a calming finale to a recherché album.

Keep up with Ahuizotl:
Twitter
Facebook
Bandcamp

Emily, (@emiemzy)

Deaf Poets

Deaf Poets are a Miami based duo who are blessed with some real talent, especially considering the band was formed as a way of killing time. The duo consist of Nico Espinosa (vocals/drums) and Sean Wouters (vocals/guitar) who, regardless of their small numbers, create a sound which blows you away with its depth.

Their most recent album, '4150', features some pretty amazing sounds, starting off with the first track 'Fly', a rebellious, fast paced track with strong vocals. 'Fly' is something you can really get your teeth into, and, while giving you a taste of what is to come in the album, it gives you something to get your rock spirit going. 
'Pale Skin' opens with showdown riffs, very similar to the Arctic Monkeys and carries on with a slow, waltz like chorus. 
Then the album moves onto 'Had Me Waiting', a song that boasts a more dirty rock feel compared to the previous tracks and the riffs are very similar to some Black Keys tracks. 
'Can't Breathe' contains scratchy vocals, a powerful crescendo of notes and just overall energetic vibes. It is a definite song to rock out to and lift your spirits. 
'This Pain' sounds alot like a Kings Of Leon track, especially in the vocals. It's quick beats fly by, sweep you up and drown you in an edenic flush of strength giving sound. 
A slower track follows called 'Cold Cold Thieves'. In this track you really start to see the softer side to the duo through smoother vocals, gentler beats and subdued guitar notes. This is not to say this track has lost its rock feel though, somehow Deaf Poets have managed to deftly show their gentle side while continuing to boast their defined wild sound. 
'Degenerate Mind' goes on to continue the agile pace in the album. The song is full of 'ah-ah-ah's and lyrics which make you want to shout them out loud. The repetitive nature of the song also means it will get stuck in your head for awhile but who's to say its a bad thing when it comes from a band like this? 
'Sunlight Sunset' is another one of the bands slower songs, it features synth sounds, staggered beats and laid-back vocals while 'Sally' flaunts a slow, loud beat accompanied with killer riffs, creating a strange ominous feel, a more 'show-off'y track from the band.
'Little Red Wagon' is a slightly more grungy track with similar vocal sounds to 'Can't Breathe', the song is mostly instrumental with repetitive infectious lyrics you learn within seconds.
 The album ends with song that, if sung live, would force lighters (or phones) up in the air as a crowd becomes one and sways in time to the notes. 'Make Believe' is a track with a slow plodding beat and fuzzy calm vocals which voice words of deep feeling.
Just listen to the album. It will become a new favourite.

You can follow the band on Twitter, like their Facebook page or check out their Soundcoud where you can listen to the album.

em, (@emiemzy)