Louder Than Bombs

What Resonates

Written by: PP on 25/03/2013 03:05:43

If you haven't had enough of Hot Water Music soundalikes just yet, then here's another one for you. Louder Than Bombs and their new album "What Resonates" effectively sources its sound from late 90s HWM material, while also referencing Small Brown Bike, North Lincoln, and a wealth of other bands who have been toying with halfway roughened, halfway polished approach to gravelly punk rock/original post-hardcore. It can sound bland and somewhat boring at first, but that's because these sorts of bands always bury their catchy melodies just underneath the surface, so a quick listen won't be enough to uncover the solid material underneath.

The material on "What Resonates" is mostly mid tempo, hovering around the 2½ minute average lengthy per song, relying on a shouted, basement style vocal approach that's perfect for intimate vibes and sweaty basement shows. The usual leitmotifs of honesty and passion are ever-present in their sound, as is the nostalgia that drives the expression forward. It's rooted in melodic punk, where thick bass lines are an important part of the soundscapes, but also in post-hardcore where the angular guitar work originates from. You'll have heard this sound plenty of times before (just search for Hot Water Music in the search box to the right for countless examples), but yet the album is consistently good, if somewhat an unsurprising collection of roughened punk rock typical to the Gainesville scene. It won't blow you away, but songs like "Wake Up WIth Your Throat Cut" are solid examples of what this scene can do even in its 'average' incarnation.

7

Download: Banish, Reveal Itself, Wake Up WIth Your Throat Cut,
For the fans of: Hot Water Music, North Lincoln, Small Brown Bike
Listen: Bandcamp

Release date 24.04.2013
South Division

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