Strawhouse- Malaise review
The deep bass line and heavy acoustics make this single one worth remembering. Strawhouse released their first single ‘Malaise’ on the 1st July, the first single from their debut album. Front man Paul Donnelly describes the single with “Malaise sums up a lot of what we’re about. It’s raw as hell and is the product of a particularly destructive relationship I was in at the time.” Similar to as the way the relationship is described, the song starts off smoothly with a set rhythm before the angular chords in the bridge create an unsettling atmosphere whilst still staying catchy as hell. "Should I just try less hard" is sang with an aggression that expresses not only the vocalist's own feelings about the Malaise, but the raw and distorted sounds that Strawhouse’s have built their foundations upon. The chorus is big whilst the verses still seem relatively small. However this makes for a more dramatic sound when the chorus kicks in with its gripping melodies and thick leading bass line. When the vocalist has had enough of speaking out about his vocals the band seem to break down into a solo with a lot of soaring guitars, which are unfortunately covered by the general sounds of each instrument rather than the usual leading guitars. However the pace has quickened by this point increasing the catchiness of vocals and rhythm with a dramatic build up similar to Radiohead’s ‘Creep’. Donnelly concludes “This song is all about being in the moment and simmering aggressive energy”