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Ring Them Bells

No One's Dead / We're Just Dressed In Black

Written by: PP on 20/04/2015 22:16:18

Don't be fooled by the surf rock vibes of opening cut "No One's Dead / We're Just Dressed In Black", the title track on Copenhagen based rock and Ring Them Bells' debut album carrying the same name. Though it also contains blues and retro rock vibes, it's still not exactly what the rest of the record will be about. Instead, the band look to the British Isles for inspiration and arrive at a late 90s / early 2000s Brit rock style expression as the album progresses along.

The primary influence behind the record is easy to identify. The Gallagher brothers' best work with Oasis was always the noisy and somewhat psychedelic, darker version of the genre rather than the catchy pop-rock tracks of the mid-90s. Think "Standing On The Shoulders Of Giants"-era rather than "Definitely Maybe", where British style indie rock is still the driving element but it's clouded by depth and sonic experimentation. "Snow On Snow", for example, is one track where the comparison is impossible to avoid, but in general the second half of "No One's Dead / We're Just Dressed In Black" falls in this category. At the same time, there are forays into other styles as well. "Lose Yourself" is a simplistic track that recalls R.E.M, whereas "Time To Kill" channels old school Muse from their early albums. Whichever the style, however, Ring Them Bells presents their expression with confidence and conviction, always resulting in rather enjoyable songs overall. That the band drench their expression in elements of psychedelia, noise and blues in the process helps them forge their own identity away from their obvious influences, which is much needed to avoid further copycatting claims by critics and fans alike.

"No One's Dead & We're Just Dressed In Black" is a surprisingly ambitious album for a debut. Plenty of time is spent on expansive soundscapes that are ripe with distortion-laden guitar and pedal effects. If there's one thing the band should do better, it's to make the songs more memorable. As it is now, they are well composed instrumentally but even after weeks of listening, it's difficult to remember particular songs from the record because of how they mesh together into one another.

Download: Time To Kill, Napalm Makeup, Snow On Snow
For the fans of: Oasis, Kasabian, Paper Tigers
Listen: Facebook

Release date 03.03.2015
No Forevers