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Morello- 'Alarm/Hold On' EP
Morello have put a huge push behind the release of their new single ‘Alarm/Hold On’, with 12 gigs in 6 days and a launch party in Dublin’s Four Dame Lane this Thursday.
And why not? The 3 song EP is definitely something to be proud of, recorded in Morello’s own studio, the sound quality is impeccable and the sleeve design is classy and professional. With this EP the Dundalk-Italy 5 piece have stood up and want to be counted.
The EP bursts into life with the anthemic, ‘Alarm’ and the opening bars set the tone for the whole EP, with distorted vocals, synth and bass leading into a smooth vocal from Steve. The up-tempo melody builds slowly and climaxes with a lovely, extended guitar riff.
‘Alarm’s sister A-side, ‘Hold on’ is the EP’s most impressive cut. The first 18 seconds is a salubrious orgy of bass, synth and drums that lures the listener into the lazy bass vocal. Alex’s dark, thudding bass keeps the song deliciously broody and dark. The huge, catchy chorus, ‘I’ve got something and it makes me weak, when I think of it all it brings me down to my knees’ is a sharp contrast to the vocoder spoken lyrics.
The EP’s B-side, ‘On My Conscience’ is aptly enough its weakest song. It’s reminiscent of Ash circa 1994; the chorus’ vocal would fit in quite smugly on ‘Trailer.’ Again, it features superior instrumentation and a driving, powerful melody, but the repeated chorus of ‘Don’t want this on my conscience’ gets pretty monotonous and at 1 min 40 sec it doesn’t really go anywhere. With a key change and more imaginative chorus it could be great, as it is it’s just alright.
Really though, Morello deserve a slap on the back for this release. Like many of their Irish contemporaries, they’ve gone the indie route - the difference is that ‘Alarm/Hold On’ doesn’t sound DIY in any shape or form. The instrumentation is Morello’s best asset, it hits the listener like a brick wall with its weight and density, but when the ear chips away at its layers the diversity, deftness and imagination still hold attention.
Morello’s sound isn’t exactly innovative, or even in vogue at present, but such things are superfluous when a band rock’s this hard.
By Ciara Cunnane
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