Raging single from the eclectic British ensemble
The alternative rock trio from Bury St Edmunds surface once more, this time providing an intriguing insight into their third yet-to be-released album 'Futures'. The distinctive style of 'Hidden Shallows' mixes the passion of Biffy Clyro with the quirkiness of The Automatic, whilst being continually cloaked with Nirvana's grunginess.
The vocal teaming of Mike Smith and Seymour Patrick feels very well balanced, with Patrick's vocals possessing a quality not too dissimilar to the grittier side of Feeder's Grant Nicholas. Drummer Neil Baldwin establishes a driving rhythmic section with Smith's bass playing, leaving Patrick to freely exercise his versatile guitar style. These all contribute to the brute strength of 'Hidden Shallows', which often naturally escalates from a more restrained mood.
First impressions of the six-minute B-side 'The Air is On Fire' are that the immersive soundscape being created may fail to retain audience focus. However, the frenzied chorus strikes with such blistering force that it suddenly dismisses all fears that the track could seem somewhat prolonged. Before you know it, those six minutes have disappeared and you are left questioning yourself as to what just happened.
Based on the promise of these tracks, it should be very interesting to see what 'Futures' has in store. The past year has seen nearly 100,000 of Ten City Nation's albums downloaded from their website, acting as an indication of the interest already forming around this trio. If 'Hidden Shallows' is anything to go by, this statistic is set to rise ever further.