getAmped - Postcards From Hell
Just as I was thinking that all originality had vanished from the music scene in the UK; that the future was an endless stream of major-label manufactured famous for five minutes homogenous indie rock bands who couldn't sing properly and all had only one guitar riff; then on my desk landed this debut album from three piece rock band getAmped. I say 'rock band' because, unlike the majority of wannabes out there who claim to have their own unique brand of genre defying tripe, getAmped's sound is actually quite hard to pin down. Through the course of the album you'll hear hints of everything from A and Hell Is For Heroes to Blink 182 and even some reggae influences to give a vibe similar to the Police.
The album itself has obviously been lovingly put together by the band, the liner notes are an in depth insight into the creation of the record and the workings of the band and are actually really interesting to read. The band has also had a big hand in production and mixing of the CD, this can often be disastrous but in this case it has turned out for the best. The sound is slick but not too over the top, although the slightly less produced bonus track 'Christmas Song' has fantastic energy and grit that is lost on some of the other tracks and sounds a lot like early Blink 182 or Green Day.
All three members of the band play various instruments on different tracks including samples and synths, however the main focus of the band is definitely driving guitar anthems with seemingly effortlessly powerful yet elegant riffs, underpinned by tight unfussy drumming. The songs all have a unique identity and yet all share a sense of purpose and character, which helps to unite what could otherwise have been a very disparate album. If I did have to draw a comparison to any one band it would have to be A in their heyday, especially the vocals which have a very similar character.
The way that getAmped are clearly flying in the face of current trends and doing their own thing is commendable, I just hope that it pays off. It seems that in order to become successful in this country you have to sell your soul to the corporate giants, the lyrics from the track God Of The Zombies 'DJ, you're the god of the Zombies, your music comes down from the sky' sums it up perfectly. I'd recommend this album to anyone, it's instantly accessible but has so much under the surface that you'll find something new each time you come back to it.