A new single release from nothingland delivers across between garage, progressive, indie, and even classic rock by bringing in this addictive fuzz-tone guitar sound along with an arrangement that lets the song have a forward-moving flow and a little bit of edginess and color so that the track itself has its own atmosphere.
"be not afraid" doesn't waste a lot of time coming in with that addictive riff, which is an integral part of the track because it gets you pulled right in. From there the track gets a little bit vast and expansive and this is where the progressive parts come into play.
I love the way the textures of this song sort of melt together strangely. The vocal approach has a bit of smoothness to it and adds a different tone and texture to the mix, along with those fuzz-toned guitars that bring that edginess.
The combination of those two sounds and tones makes for something a bit unique but the whole track brings an aesthetic of an underground early 90s alternative rock vibe.
One of the things I love about this track are those sections where it has these sorts of bursts of drive and then exhales back down into versus again which is something I found really intriguing because it gives the track the feeling of being alive and breathing in a way.
It's like they took a mid to late 1970s classic rock songwriting approach and brought it into a grunge 90s vibe. This is how the song creates something that's slightly heavy but very melodic and has that expansive feeling undertone as well.
Of course, with that fuzz tone guitar, you also get a garage rock vibe but it has more of that vastness to it than anything else, in my opinion, so I wouldn't really call it garage rock per se. They are kind of bending genres and bringing in those rocks at free will and in turn, they're creating something that feels slightly nostalgic at times but also refreshing at others.
Again, it's a blend of color and edginess. There's also a lot of character and personality behind this track and the energy is perfect.
Although there is this amazing dynamic balance between all the instruments, there is this energy that they give off which almost feels like a live performance.
Perhaps this track was recorded live on the floor and everyone was feeding off each other's energies the entire time.
Either way, after listening to this track you're going to want to see it performed live in your face because if this kind of aesthetic and energy is captured on record so well then seeing it live must be awesome.
I definitely love hearing a track on a record and immediately knowing that this band will be awesome in a live performance setting.
You just don't come across that often so when you find it, it's a bit rejuvenating.
You even get glimpses of punk-rock influence here too. This has an influx of progressive and heavy rock approaches that are rolled up into one track.
The drumming is amazing here too. It really adds the drive and slight element of looseness which also adds to that live performance feel.
Don't get me wrong—everything is perfectly in the pocket, but there's that little liveliness that the drumming really adds so that the track hits with a bit of punch.
The guitar work is great here, especially that mean ref but there's also again, sort of progressive elements to the guitar performances and arrangements but all in all, it's that sonic presence and guitar tone that sets the vibe of the track right from the get-go.
You get a certain warmth from that tone.
This is a great song to listen to with headphones on so you can really soak it in properly. After listening to this one, I will definitely be keeping a close eye out for anything else this band releases.
I grew up listening to great underground '90s rock bands and these guys and now that aesthetic so well I can't even explain it.
It feels like a band I missed out on back in the day.
A great release from nothingland, go check out "be not afraid" as soon as you can and see how it affects you.
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