The Bloody Angle - The Bloody Angle Review
The core problem with this record is it has no identity.
rating: 2
Release date: 16th October*
The impression I got when listening to The Bloody Angles eponymous debut was that they very much live for traditionalism. Aside from channeling the sort of meat and potatoes generic southern American rock, the band pride themselves on recording the entire of this album using analogue techniques. Front man Matt Singleton: This album was a direct backlash against the modern style of making musicno edits, no grid, no auto-tune. Now I have some friendly advice for Mr Singleton: good music is less how and more what - as an avid music fan I could not care less which recording technique you used in the studio, as long as it sounds good.
Next time boys, more focus on songwriting and less on production. The core problem with this record is it has no identity. When its not busy nodding to other musical stylings and expressions, its pushing forward cliché-ridden solos that are half-baked and flat. Specifically in Devils Runnin Scared, guitarist Jason Butler relies on lazy bends and triplet runs to fill his solo slot. Elsewhere, musically none of the band gives the songwriting any flare, settling on dragging themselves and the listener through the 45-minute void of unidentifiable slop. On Alligator, the middle eight is filled with an awful cringe-inducing harmonic phrase that doesnt even try to connect with the rest of the song. Singleton unfortunately does not have a voice to front a band. He sings forcefully as if its not natural for him to sing, and there is nothing standout about his vocals to stop it drowning in the southern-fried swamp rock, (their words, not mine). The lyricism is weak and uninspiring, the point where Singleton barks I love you like an alligator was for me the point where I gave up. The inclusion of lap steel guitar is an attempt on the part of the band to maintain an authenticity to their southern sound, which I cannot deny succeeds in doing so. However jumping between stomping rock power chords, Americana and country flattens their intent and gives the feeling of a halfhearted tour of musical heritage. Perhaps focusing on one of these genres would have reinforced their identity and given the record a greater sense of coherence. Im all for bands revisiting older styles of music and building upon them, especially with bands like The Gaslight Anthem using their influences to intensify the emotional heart of their songs. The thing with The Bloody Angle is they dont do this, they dont have a great amount of instrumental talent OR any songwriting skill. So there really isnt anything I can recommend about this record.