The Breakdown
Formed in 2015, The Alchemy are a British rock band that crafts catchy and anthemic songs inspired by a subconscious blend of the Rock, Indie and Electronic musical landscape they all grew up in. Somewhere // Anywhere is their third album and one in which the band plays to their strengths delivering an album that’s full of wide sonic brilliance that rattles the brain as well as makes it think.
With the rattle of a bass ‘Birdsong’ emerges in a tub thumbing epic of a track with grinding riffs and strong dynamics that keep the listener glued to the stereo. It’s heavy and full of harmonies and a drum beat that stamps its authority.
Lovesick is a raging hard-hitting track that combines pop style vocals with distorted backing and an explosive chorus. Vocals are a strong point here as they weave from straight up pop style to raging hurricane of emotion as the track steps up a notch. Very much the same on ‘Real Life’ where the vocals are a real highlight over the chugging rhythms that merge into the soaring chorus. Keeping a razor edge with the distorted sonic landscape created by the guitar.
Somewhere Anywhere adds a touch of electronics as the band creates a infectious atmosphere with a rotating guitar riff and some standout drumming. this bleeds straight into the next track, a real standout of the album, the carefully crafted ‘True Loves A Waste Of Time’. Hypnotic riffs and intimate vocals its about this time you get surprised that it’s actually a trio making all this noise. The high and lows are perfectly placed to take the listener on an emotive journey. “Tell all my friends it gets better” as the band take off on a soaring outro that melds clashing drums over the frantic melodic looping riff. I don’t have enough ears to give this track justice.
The indie influenced ‘Sun Bleached’ has a 90s vibe with its drenched soundscape that’s all crushing guitars and flying vocals nicely held in check by the steady backing vocals and relentless drum beat. This album does sound like it’s on the verge of a meltdown. Case in point is the other album highlight, the groove filled ‘Glass Houses’. A psychedelic riff with the whole track displaying some fancy fretwork whilst still hammering your ear drums in some bombastic bass heaviness. This leads into ‘Brothers’ where the manic preaching continues as the track is on the verge of blowing up yet the band keep things nailed down nice and tight with banshee like vocals and driving riffs
Summer sounds just like this name with soft acoustic, shimmering synths and lazy vocals that give the track a gorgeous laid back vibe. It gives the track a bit of breathing space. You can tell why this track was one of the singles. It’s a wonderfully dragged out epic that is guaranteed to be a huge live track for the band.
The heavy hitters return with ‘Normal People’ kicking off in true rampaging Alchemy style with a touch of electronics. Its a swirling brilliance broken up by the dynamic drumming and stabs of guitar that both build into the euphoric chorus. Finishing off with the epic ‘Hollywood’ a track that really does see the band push themselves to the limit. From its gentle trance like beginnings. It’s an euphoric track you can get lost in and one that needs repeating
As much as this album contains several belters there’s no denying these tracks a begging to be played live not restrained to a studio environment. There is so much going on it’s hard to fathom that this band is just a three piece. But what the trio have done is blend heaviness with melodic colours and intelligent lyrics delivering a modern masterpiece that’s for the here and now.
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