Posts Tagged ‘bass groove’

Honeybadger – Cold Wind

Posted: 30 January 2023 in Singles and EPs
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28th January 2023

James Wells

Honeybadger’s bio describes the Brighton trio as ‘spiky’ purveyors of ‘gutter psychedelia/grunge’, and ‘Cold Wind’ certainly delivers on that. Fast and gritty, lo-fi and fuzzed out, the guitars are all the grunge – but then the break brings a full-on tremelo-happy wig-out that’s out of this world!

But if the song is carried by an energy that invites comparisons with early Arctic Monkeys, the bassline runs away in a completely different direction, with one of those wild grooves that runs here, there, and everywhere: Luca – age just twenty-one – is possessed of magic fingers. Or perhaps he’s just possessed. Either way, these guys pack in so much dynamic and raw talent into three-and-a-half minutes that it’s dizzying, and it’s a proper rush.

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Honeybadger Artwork

The Velvicks – LA

Posted: 14 August 2021 in Singles and EPs
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12th August 2021

James Wells

Having given a flavour of their debut EP, ‘Run’ with the release of the title track back in June, New York (via Brazil and Miami) trio The Velvicks slam in with follow-up ‘LA’ – not actually a song about LA itself, but more what it represents – the pursuit of dreams and aspirations, regardless of the obstacles and the existential anguish this so often entails.

‘Don’t even get me started…’ Vick Nader croons by way of an introduction – before very much getting started. ‘You gotta get me out before it’s too late’, he pleads. Who hasn’t felt that sense of entrapment in a rut of a job, a tired social scene, a life going nowhere?

The song structure and delivery is simple but effective – set against an insistent bum-bum-tit drum beat that’s pitched up in the mix, the guitars swirl around and provide more texture than form, with the rhythm section dominating. The bass switches from a solid thud to some nice wandering runs that lift the tune to another level. In short, it’s another cracker.