EP REVIEW: Drella - Silence
Bradford's Drella present their debut EP 'Silence', a four track offering bursting with fast paced, high angst, raw, raucous tunes with epic choruses, post-punk energy and just a hint of the droning fuzziness of shoegaze.
Drella has an air of unpolished chaos and vocals that are perfectly imperfect. Their sound is sincere and authentic. Beaming with honest, northern charm, Drella have me hooked. Their chant along vocals are now fully ingrained in my memory bank!
Kicking off with 'Sickly Sweet' the words channeling the confusion of being infatuated with someone even though all they do is cause you pain; "I try in vain to hide the pain inside" but knowing you can't get enough of them and they're stuck in your mind, desperately searching for your reflection in eyes that just look vacant. The words of disorientation fit nicely with the backdrop of rumbling guitars, plodding energy, occasional thundering chords and a sweet little groove. There's an epic guitar solo and super infectious, shout along vocals.
Title track 'Silence' channels more angst of bad relationships. Wasted tears, white lies, echoes of darkness and the recollection of having said goodbye too many times. The song booms in with an up-tempo start building to heavy guitars, fuzzy chords that reduce down for the raw verse which is backed by a killer riff. 'Silence' then grows in stature into the roaring, anthemic chorus buzzing with big, chanting vocals and catchy hooks. The track features a whining, reverby guitar solo, a nice moment of indulgence.
'Lie to Me' is an anthem for the heartbroken, those caught up on the end of the relationship still feeling the other person's presence. Knowing there's nothing left to say, just silence. Clinging on to memories like a glimmer of hope. The heartbreak of knowing love alone wasn't enough. ‘Lie to Me' presents a more continuous fast paced sound throughout with massive danceability, a big bold chorus and the band's signature protesting vocals. There's another killer, electrifying guitar solo.
Ending on 'Dirty Valentine' which sees Jonny's voice become even more rough and raw as he pours impassioned words about relationships built on lies and the other person's ability to play mind games; "when you twist my truth into a lie". The track opens with a likeness to Oasis 'Supersonic' before descending into musical chaos of frantic energy, big riffs and battering drums.
Overall, 'Silence' is an epic, enthralling debut EP from the lads. Honest, authentic with big choruses. It's catchy, raw with attitude and energy. It's a four song soundtrack for anyone confused by love and despondent about relationships. There's angst, commotion, massive hooks and plenty of opportunity for a good old singalong! I'm a big fan and excited to see what's next for the band.
