Raise The People
Cooking Vinyl
There’s a little hipster in all of us. The joy and excitement of finding that one non-mainstream band your friends don’t know and watching them bloom into international stars is one we crave for. Calling All Cars were a hidden treat for this writer; however with their recent release of Raise The People, my heart has sunk.
The Melbourne three-piece built themselves around thumping power chords and aggressive drum beats, forming an unforgettable live experience. Their third album, however, takes a drastic change; moving into groovy, slick rock that never reaches the heights previously achieved.
Opening title-track, Raise The People, is as heavy as the trio go, blending smooth bass with a versatile and rhythmic drums. Haydn Ing’s vocals are stronger and crisp; standing out in the track through his intensity and simple, yet impactful rhythm guitar.
Black And White is another strong track that incorporates more pop-influences, adding electronic elements and eerie harmonies that build to an enigmatically catchy but still uneventful chorus.
After the two opening tracks the album begins to falter; producing numerous tracks that struggle to find a memorable moment and may prove difficult to excite a live audience.
AARON BRYANS
