This year, we leave behind a summer of sound re-discovered and fresh explored sub cultures. What can we expect from this a new pop punk sound, dubbed "hip hop" at its core?
Behind the scenes many musicians have toiled and tried to define new sound in sub cultures. Who could be blamed for this process and progress after 2020? A year of canned dreams and live streams could be quite enough to put anyone off. In the past year, line up changes, and creative collectivity has kept music alive and all the more, thriving in the live sense.
For Galway’s alternative rock duo LIGHT GREY, a combination of all three components, has made their release dreams a reality. The band recently announced their new EP ‘Are You Even Real’ which aims to cut up hip hop plosives over piercing pop punks lyrics. The result? An incredibly imagined work that has more contradictions and side tracks than the average crossroad. Set for a relatively impressive self release on 29th October 2021, The band seemingly sensed a “now or never” dilemma in the work that lies ahead.
The four songs on this sound track, are lead up by ‘Disassociate’ and ‘Messed Up’, giving the listener a little insight into their pop punk powered prose. Does 2021 need a pop punk, hip hop infusion from a not-so forgotten noughties past? Putting two popular, conflicting genres together could form quite the cult-ish success but beyond the studio, the mix feels early in its process. There’s little sign of “grit” in the hip hop hits and lack of wit in a genre known for thinking outside the box. Admirable levels of intent, seem to cloud the intense joy and giddying excitement that makes pop punk fly.
Between Ciaran Nevin (vocals, guitar) and Mikey Connolly (bass, backing vocals), there is no denying their immense talent. Their recent work alongside the likes of Sammy Clifford (WSTR) and Smrtdeath, displays a talent that takes off beyond their own discography. However, the divergent nature of new track “Haunted” creates a cloud over a collective with a lot on their plate. Akin to “PRBLM”, both tracks relent and relate towards solitary experiences that feel rather on the nose and yet increasingly absent of individual flair. It is not a question of poor sound with production quality of such excellent standard- An experimental lyric development might help this duo on their way.