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We last heard from
Soma High a year ago. At that time the lads were drowning in a sea of doom and
gloom, playing melancholic Radiohead style melodies. Read
our review of Soma High in February 2004.
Their penchant
for dark, sorrowful tunes is still apparent a year later but they've now found
a way to lightened up and diversify the Soma High sound.
They've
have obviously been busy trying out different styles and as a result each song
on the three track CD comes from a completely different direction whilst still
managing to sound like they belong together.
Singer Sean has reigned in
his Thom Yorke style vocals to prevent the long, wistful wails from rolling over
every track. They've
also kept the songs around three minutes long ensuring that they are accessible
and have no room for veering off into droney, 'woe is me'
territory. Opening
track, I Don't Know Why shows a harder edge to the lads than heard on their previous
efforts. They've upped the tempo with some fast-paced drums and brought in heavy
guitars with some wonderfully fuzzy flourishes. There are definite echoes of Muse
here. The
music climaxes
into a crescendo of heartfelt pining and furious drumming in the way that Matt
Bellamy's boys have perfected. In
total contrast, a solitary, staccato piano leads us into She's Gone Again. It's
quirky rhythm skips playfully along on a seemly cheerful mission, giving the track
immediate appeal and keeping Sean's voice from becoming overly sorrowful.
However,
the major to minor chord changes succeed in bringing a haunting aspect to the
song and the delicate, ghostly backing vocals are incredibly effective, adding
yet another subtle layer to the underlying melancholy. Final
track Secrets and Lies takes another surprising turn. This time, there's no mistaking
that we are in darker territory. The track slowly burns away with slow, pondering
drums and synths which beat out a dramatic, metronomic march. The
guitars gradually build up and become more aggressive but the tempo remains on
it's steady course, serving to give the track a menacing ambience.
Soma High are a talented act that are delivering some extremely high quality,
dynamic music. The songs are diverse, giving them room to grow as a band and that
gives them the potential to become even better. It will be interesting to see
where they go from here.
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us what you think of Soma High by giving them a star rating.
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