BERRIES self-titled 2nd full-length is a transcendent throwback that culls all that you loved from the mid-aughts European explosion which brought the likes of Franz Ferdinand, Kaiser Chiefs, We Are Scientists, and Arctic Monkeys into the collective consciousness, combines it with Desert Rawk, and tops it off with a hearty Pop sheen to deliver an iconic Rawk record through and through that sounds like no other current artist.
“Barricade” starts this special something that Holly Carter, Lauren Cooper and Lexi Clark have created off nicely with feverish guitars and some proper percussive thumping amidst lush vocals with “Creature” especially reminding us of Franz Ferdinand and that new school sound by way of 2004 with some gnarly backbeats deep in there as “Blurry Shapes” boasts some Prog-like melodies and robust harmonies.
“Watching Wax” enraptured us on first listen to the point where a Singles! post was on the way only to be thwarted by timeliness. Hell, what you’re reading now is built from the bones of that post even! But anyway! Wailing riffs, hypnotic haunting vocal lines, and an infectious beat? Sign. Us. Up. The first single off the self-titled sophomore record, “Watching Wax” has all that and a boat load more. If, like us, it was your entry way into the BERRIES world then we think it’s a pretty perfect indicator of the diversity that abounds the rest of the album.
“Balance” is a solitary ballad built off isolated vocal lines that stir the soul accompanied by acoustic guitars with a bouncing bass and steady sticks upping the mood considerably on “Jagged Routine”. “This Space” bursts out of an ethereal vibe with a start/stop modern Prog meets Desert Rawk romp while “Narrow Tracks” leads with a guitar squeal straight out of some ’80’s offerings from Dio or Iron Maiden. “Control” cues the beginning of the end with one more raucous Rawk fest before “Crumpled Clothes” rounds out the record in as solid a way as it began.
BERRIES is out NOW through Xtra Mile Recordings and you can order yours now in a variety of options by heading here. For even more from BERRIES, follow the trail of socials across the information superhighway when you click here, here, or here.