Covering All Bases
Geography and music may appear to be odd bedfellows but bizarrely enough the two go hand in hand, certain areas seem to have a wave of music gushing out for a certain amount of time that forever attaches a genre to a place – think the Sunset Strip and hair metal, Seattle and grunge, Manchester and Brit pop, the list goes on. Wales however has gone one better entrusting the whole country to churn out a deluge of music that over the last decade or so has swamped the music scene but whereas this might mean the rubbish gets thrown in with the good, the Welsh seem to only be able to create the good and so its no surprise that the latest band to hail from the Valleys, The Undivided, live up to the expectation easily.
Three years after their formation and with endless gigs under the belts as well as 2011's EP, Machines, the Welsh quartet are back with their first full length release, Safety, a 7 track rush of infectious beats and catchy choruses that won't stop with merely having your fingers drumming along to the beat but instead will drive you to the dance floor, even if that only involves dancing like a loon in the comfort of your own bedroom. Opener 7 Hours pummels out of the starting blocks, diving straight into The Undivided's blend of anthemic, infectious and pounding rock. Swaggering with a confidence, 7 Hours is instantly contagious, brandishing pop fused hooks amongst thumping rock riffs and beats that are unapologetically inviting, laying the foundation of what to expect from The Undivided and hinting that Safety is going to be one exciting album.
For all the goodness of 7 Hours and You And Me, it's Panic where the four piece fully come into their own, unleashing an avalanche of hook riddled riffs and drum beats that dig into your self conscious, add the catchy vocals into the mix and all you can really do is surrender. The Undivided don't just want to have you dancing to their bouncy, feel good beats though, these guys want to tug at your heartstrings as well and title track Safety launches a take-no-prisoners attack to achieve just that. Stripping everything back, Safety is a minimalist affair that uses the gentle meanderings of a piano and the heart breaking vocals of lead singer Joe Disson and guest vocalist Just Harrie to call to your emotions; its passionate, tear inducing and spine tingling and will literally make you stop in your tracks before Open Your Eyes resumes the anthemic striving rush with heavy guitars, fist pounding beats and sing out loud choruses helping to ease the wonderful melancholy of Safety away.
From the infectious to the chunks of smouldering rock to the simplicity of the hauntingly heartfelt, The Undivided cover it all in a mere 7 tracks leaving you little time to catch your breath but grateful for the ride all the same. Music is still well and truly alive in the Valleys and The Undivided is proof of this once more. Get on board now, it's only a matter of time before these Welsh lads are constants on radio waves everywhere.