Carpe Carmina: carpe carmina playlist II: Dramatic and atmospheric rock extravaganza

Allusondrugs

Sunset Yellow

Allusondrugs (photo courtesy of James Akbar Photography)

With a provocative, distorted and bold but charmingly melodious pop-esque signature, Allusondrugs incite a battle of favour - either the listener is overwhelmed and hesitant, albeit fascinated or he has completely lost himself in the noisily irritating, experimental and fiercely staggering compositional patterns the five leeds based grunge-rockers establish. Due to its harsh, boisterous and raw, then again elusively calm, faintly echoing nature, it might be music made not to everyone's liking yet the band undoubtly offers a vast spectrum of divergently accentuated songs which allows their audience to get eccentrically enthusiastic about some at least, which makes those who cherish hard-hitting, edgy and rebellious musicanship fall in love with all profoundly.

'Sunset Yellow' unfolds its allure with a laid-back and ethereal instrumental setting, comes in hauntingly dreamful, relentlessly pushy still. Smooth vocals echo atmospherically, gleam insistently grim and rise with trenchant, thrilling vigor, hollow drums pulsate forcefully, whilst melodiously resonating guitars soar in a fierce, fuzzy fashion and in chime with an orotund, strong percussion progression. 'Sunset Yellow' manifests as a ludically and velvety swirling melodic vortex that picks up furious pace throughout and thereby intrigues with profound compositional suspense.

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Narcs

Narcs (photo courtesy of Stuarts Photography Leeds)

Two birds, one stone ... and a plethora of fervent, bitter and impulsively bold songs later, those, who opened up to the ponderous and gloomy, the vivacious and moody music Narcs supply, experienced a colourful journey of intense sound and sassy, sonorous screams - may it be the cocky vocal confidence of 'Karaoke', the eccentrically howling impetuosity of 'High Commissioner' or the husky, enticingly ambient and riotious acoustic harmony of 'Tall Grass', the 4-piece alternative rock outfit diverges from dashing and dark rock pomp to light, keenly stirring rock serenades, only to approach, to embrace first-mentioned power-grunge-glory eagerly welcoming again.

With '19' Narcs settle up with Great Britain's political system - frustration and resentment about it errupt into an urgent and sharp tonal uproar, depending on fast-paced, stormily cracking rhythm and incisive melodic unrest. A vehement, acutely ringing vocal performance and thought-provoking lyrics convincingly complement the song's fiery and furious spirit, leave the listener stunned and contemplative at best.

Narcs' debut album 'Two Birds, One Stone Later'

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Forever Cult

Ocean Ocean Ocean

You sure all remember the electrifying, tenebrous and fervent compositial vim of 'Suntrap' - now, Forever Cult are back to enthuse and excite with grungy, rampant and vibrant musicianship all over again. The 3-piece alternative rock outfit unleashes vivid and firm compositions whose audacious and thunderous sound bursts through a barnstorming and perky pop coating. And 'OceanOceanOcean' is no exception.

Jaunty and lively in compositional scheme, 'OceanOceanOcean' sweeps breezily, surges briskly, is deepened in sound due to its severely clashing and vivaciously struck percussion reverberation, exuberant nonetheless, given its spirited riffage and frisky, edgy vocal virulence. A buoyant and bracing virulence both hard to ignore and even harder not to fall for.

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All three bands - Allusondrugs, Narcs and Forever Cult - are singned to Clue Records. To learn more about the indie label and the music they represent, click here.

The Reveurs

Control & Saint Marie

This indie-rock outfit, hailing from Manchester, are no new faces to carpe carmina, the Reveurs' music has been reviewed a while back already, and it's 'Control' to take the audience by storm once more, now as remastered, equally rousing and electrifying version, solidifying its dense yet dynamic melodic glow. The listener is anew hooked on Nelson's at first imbuing, dimly deployed, later on throaty, vehemently erupting voice as well as on the vivace and tense atmosphere, the drum-driven, powerful beat of the song. 'Control' managed to satisfy once, and it does conspiciously well a second time around.

Excitingly energetic, infectiously anthemic - remark the glowing, keen backing howls - and of sonic cloudy depth 'Saint Marie' plays skilfully with what is the Reveurs' striking music essence: rough and dusky, firmly roaring yet controlled vocals engross an upbeat and vigorous soundscape in a way that is thrillingly absorbing and catchy at the same time. Its both vocal and instrumental vigor spurring and stimulating the listeners' liking for ardent compositions of perky rhythm and piercing nonetheless brisk acerbity - for good.

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Watchtower

You Don't Have To Say Goodbye

Watchtower (Jack McAllister (vox&guitarist) &
Sam Knott (bassist), live at LIMF 2014)

Jack Sanders (vox/guitarist)

Andrew Hawley (drummer)

Combining rock'n'roll roots and psychedelic enigma, captivatingly embodied by expressively breathy vocals and nebulous melodic moments, Watchtower make a murkily clangorous yet atmospherically mellow mark there to last and linger. Said feisty still harmonised compositional momentum has been strikingly exposed through the densely swinging 'Under YourThumb' and the torridly dashing 'Art Of Retribution', the latter sounding dynamically acoustic already. The band's recent release, 'You Don't Have To Say Goodbye', takes a slightly divergent musical line, remains copiously acoustic and subtly vibrant still. Drifting dreamily gentle, the emotive composition adapts a more husky, sentimentally poignant vocal outline augmented by delicately apollonian droning and is harmoniously topped off with placid, soulful guitar sonority. The mournful, nevertheless hopeful lyrics, telling of painful loss and comforting faith, add to the simple beauty of a song dedicated to a friend of the band who experienced a death in his family, and most certainly spark the listeners' genuine emotion and empathy likewise.

Make sure to purchase 'You Don't Have To Say Goodbye' - not only because it's an emotionally involving and gripping song, but also for all proceeds go to charity (McMillian Cancer Support & Kidney Research UK). Support independent musicians and a good cause at once.

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The Juveniles

Please Don't Change

The Juveniles (photo courtesy of Martin Kilduff Photography)

An ambiently echoing, blithely and idyllically declining melodic euphony, a vivifying and dizzily elusive scenery of sound - the Juveniles paint sweeping and quaint, alluringly expressive compositional pictures, portraying the odds of everyday life in its blindingly shining beauty whilst equally depicting its dark abysses. And the liverpool 5-piece does so in a confident, gracefully mellifluous and bouncily oscillating way, having 'vintage flair' written all over their musical presence.

As atmospheric and nostalgic the music video for 'Please Don't Change', is the composition itself: rhythmic drum strokes and bright keys coloring herald a lyrical tale that is enchantingly entangled in a languorous and silken tonal array, a blend of haunting melodic melancholia and blissfully floating melodic exuberance. Deeply engrossed, sensitive vocals sing the romantic praise of a woman, beautiful to the narrators' eye, comfort, uplift her about her looks, concisely ask her not to change. And neither should the calm and profoundly harmonious compositional shaping of this song.