Review – Deaf Havana: Old Souls
27 September 2013
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| (Source) |
Bold, powerful, raw and most of all, honest. These are the
first ones that spring to my mind while listening to Deaf Havana’s new album,
Old Souls
. An apt title, as it’s easy to forget how young this group of lads
are, when their sound is so much more mature and experienced. We all know that
bands need time and a few records to really find their sound, and now on album
three, Deaf Havana are doing just that. Their sound is bigger and bolder, as
they seem to be growing in confidence. There is a clear American influence on
this record, but without losing its English rock roots, as this is a band at
the forefront of the resurgence of British rock that has been seen over the
past few years, and this fusion overall creates a pretty fantastic sound. There
is also a great range within the record, from slower emotional songs, to bigger
numbers that you can picture a crowd really getting into, and they are clearly
not afraid to experiment with their sound, from trumpets jazzing up ‘Everybody’s
Dancing and I Want to Die’ to the addition of a choir adding even more power to
the already intense ‘Caro Padre’. One of
the real strengths of this record though is the lyrics, largely written by lead
vocalist James Veck-Gilodi. As in previous songs, his words are personal,
honest and real, unlike the clichéd bullshit that so many chart songs are full
of. These songs tell stories, of their past and hometown, of relations with
other people, and of how their lives are now. It’s very easy to feel like you
have an insight into Veck-Gilodi’s emotions and thoughts; yet although these
are clearly very personal lyrics, they speak to the band’s listeners, relatable
as they are full of emotions that many of us have felt. From the catchy riffs
of opener ‘Boston Square’ to the raw intensity of closer ‘Caro Padre’, this
album is an amazing listen from start to finish, and surely a sign that Deaf
Havana are only going upwards, on to bigger and better things. Personal
favourites: Boston Square, Everybody’s Dancing and I Want to Die, Night Drives,
Kings Road Ghosts, Caro Padre.
first ones that spring to my mind while listening to Deaf Havana’s new album,
Old Souls
. An apt title, as it’s easy to forget how young this group of ladsare, when their sound is so much more mature and experienced. We all know that
bands need time and a few records to really find their sound, and now on album
three, Deaf Havana are doing just that. Their sound is bigger and bolder, as
they seem to be growing in confidence. There is a clear American influence on
this record, but without losing its English rock roots, as this is a band at
the forefront of the resurgence of British rock that has been seen over the
past few years, and this fusion overall creates a pretty fantastic sound. There
is also a great range within the record, from slower emotional songs, to bigger
numbers that you can picture a crowd really getting into, and they are clearly
not afraid to experiment with their sound, from trumpets jazzing up ‘Everybody’s
Dancing and I Want to Die’ to the addition of a choir adding even more power to
the already intense ‘Caro Padre’. One of
the real strengths of this record though is the lyrics, largely written by lead
vocalist James Veck-Gilodi. As in previous songs, his words are personal,
honest and real, unlike the clichéd bullshit that so many chart songs are full
of. These songs tell stories, of their past and hometown, of relations with
other people, and of how their lives are now. It’s very easy to feel like you
have an insight into Veck-Gilodi’s emotions and thoughts; yet although these
are clearly very personal lyrics, they speak to the band’s listeners, relatable
as they are full of emotions that many of us have felt. From the catchy riffs
of opener ‘Boston Square’ to the raw intensity of closer ‘Caro Padre’, this
album is an amazing listen from start to finish, and surely a sign that Deaf
Havana are only going upwards, on to bigger and better things. Personal
favourites: Boston Square, Everybody’s Dancing and I Want to Die, Night Drives,
Kings Road Ghosts, Caro Padre.
