Metamorphic Rock

The rock and roll genre is quite broad, spreading out across many sub-genres and styles. One of the most intriguing scenes at the moment is the art rock movement, seeing a range of bands and artists across the globe adding unique rhythms and melodies into their music. I wanted to have a close look at the genre – as always, you can find a full playlist at the end of this review.

Review by Jane Howkins

Photo by A Certain Someone

A Certain Someone – Suburbian

A Certain Someone is a unique act influenced by the shoegaze genre, involving frontman René creating a solo project after many years spent performing in bands. Suburbian is a small taste of things to come – it starts out pretty slowly with a fast-paced drum beat and some cool guitars, building up over the course of the piece. The vocals have that classic dreamy sound inherent within the shoegaze genre, drifting through the music effortlessly. It’s a bit of a slow burner, but it’s well worth your listening time!

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Faster Than Light – Memory Of A Place

Faster Than Light return to these pages with a brand new tune, titled Memory Of A Place. The New York artist has created something really cool here – it’s an avant-garde rocker with a jazzy, psychedelic edge, making for something very unique! It’s an instrumental piece, but don’t let that put you off, as the glorious melodies on offer in Memory Of A Place make this tune sound absolutely perfect as is. The piano is a particular wonder, trickling through the music in a gorgeous way, injecting a lot of character into the track.

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Bad Bubble – Tindering

Moving in a completely different direction is Bad Bubble with Tindering. It’s quite mellow, incorporating equal amounts of electronica and pop into the mix, as well as a hint of soft rock. The track features a melodic piano motif that continues throughout most of the track – it sounds a bit discordant at times when placed with the rest of the music, but it really starts to work after a while. The vocal effects area also utilised well here, creating something extremely dreamy as part of the process.

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Gender Reveal Atomic Bomb – Party Animals

The interestingly titled Gender Reveal Atomic Bomb is up next with their hard-hitting rock tune, Party Animals. It starts out with some cool synth effects and a steady beat, before the killer riffs kick in. It’s one of the heaviest tracks on this list, having a lot in common with the hardcore punk scene – both in terms of the raw production quality and the style of the music. It’s a really cool sounding track though, seeing the vocals shout their way through the music, against the fast tempo. The breakdown towards the end mixes things up a bit too!

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Anthony Casuccio – Into The Light

Anthony Casuccio is a Grammy nominated music producer and audio engineer, so I expected big things from Into The Light! I wasn’t disappointed – it’s another song that mixes in moments of pop and electronica with an art rock sound, turning the track into something pretty catchy! The drums, synths and bassline are relentless, simply throbbing their way through the music, making you want to tap your feet along instantly. Anthony’s vocals are great too, repeating the titular refrain in a hooky way.

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Learn To Surf – Coming Good

Coming Good might just be my favourite song on this list, due to it’s dreamy feel and old school folk-rock vibes. Learn To Surf have created something really stunning here, as the track features a lovely electric guitar arpeggio that carries throughout most of the tune against the rhythm section, changing on occasion to add variety. The vocal harmonies work well with the rest of the music, creating something evocative that will get underneath your skin in no time. Learn To Surf is another must listen track from me!

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Dream Of A Man In A Top Hat – Dimmer Switch

It’s been a while since we last heard from Dream Of A Man In A Top Hat, but the plucky Massachusetts band have finally returned with new tune, Dimmer Switch. The track sees the band going in a slightly eccentric direction, featuring a steady beat and a set of piano and guitar chords that follow the rhythm perfectly. It’s all pretty catchy, despite the raw production quality, ensuring the track will be stuck in your head on the very first listen! The vocals are a tad distant in the mix, but they still work well, adding a unique tone into the music.

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