Play 90 second soundbite of 'Empty Bottle' @ 'CD quality'
The title track opens things and sets the theme; indie/rock played at pace and with enthusiasm. Bags of energy, yes - instrumentally these guys have it pretty much nailed. But, at the moment, Infierno just lack the killer punch vocally.
Elliot Newman struggles at times to keep it smooth and tight but that's probably just age and lack of real experience. I'm sure Newman with strengthen his performance as he gains confidence and Infierno choose songs to suit his abilities (more of that later). The potential is certainly there but Newman just needs to believe that he can do it and he will. Newman is also the guitarist with Infierno and he is well supported and driven by Tom Prater on bass and Gazz Lloyd on drums.
'Fall Astray' follows and is a slower, moody sounding piece. Infierno show that they can take it down pretty good. It's a cleverly written song that goes through some cool tempo and groove changes. Now, I'm not a big fan of covers but just sometimes they serve a very useful purpose - as here because the final track is Greenday's 'American Idiot'. And, what a great choice of cover to end on. Infierno do a bloody good job on this. Now then, back to vocal ability and songwriting. Here, Newman nails it good and proper. The song suits his voice and range and he sings with total confidence. And, that's where Infierno need to hone their songwriting; to give Newman a real chance of pulling it off! He proves here that he's got what it takes. But, songwriting is a different art altogether and although the self-penned numbers are good little workers, they just don't allow Newman to excel.
Hey, these guys are young and still learning their trade; they've got it pretty much sorted with the playing and they can write original songs. Now Infierno must really get to grips with their material - then, Infierno will start to get hot.
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