Berries – Those Funny Things
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| Berries - Those Funny Things EP |
Release Date: Out Now
2016 has been accepted by most as
a universally shit year. Sure, I feel sorry for those that have had weddings,
given birth to beautiful children or been given the job of their dreams but
2016 has been a year that the majority would gladly wipe from the history
books. Normally, I’d agree with this point but in wiping that slate clean you would
take with it the good things, the glimmers, the shining needles in a hay stack
of steaming horse dung. London trio Berries are one such glimmer for me this
year and if they’re not on your radar yet then you need to pull your head out
of arse and get listening. Get listening good.
This six track EP is the
culmination of a busy year for the three London ladies as they have
relentlessly carved out a niche as one of the hardest rocking but melodious
bands around – regardless of gender. Kicking off with ‘Siren’, replete with its
hypnotically spiralling riff and rolling bass, and that clear vocal chimes out
like Breeders or Veruca Salt sneering out from behind their guitars but with an
English accent. ‘Waiting’ is a little more introspective but those guitars
ripple and sway with confidence until the bass and drums give this one a nudge
over the edge in the chorus and things start to hot up. Berries have a delicious
darkness to them on songs like ‘Never Smiled Once’ as the guitars shudder and
grind, always keeping things tight in the rhythm section.
Mixed in with the song writing,
musicianship and sheer originality, there’s a rawness that is endearing but I
think it’s only a matter of time until they get a crack at some proper
production in a proper studio and that’s going to be hugely intriguing when it
happens (when, not if). Title track ‘Those Funny Things’ is the most indie
track on the album that has tones of Britpop about it with the angular guitars reminiscent
of Elastica and Sued at their best. On ‘Lights’ the guitar sound is inspired by
really early U2 and the thin, strained notes have that fantastic punk meets
stadium rock feel about it. The EP closes up with ‘Written In Paint’, the trios
most accomplished song as the guitars emerge from the swamp accompanied by a
bass rumble and driving drums that are pure Biffy Clyro but with that pop-rock
vocal making this jagged little pill much easier to swallow. Berries are not
the finished article yet but they’ve got all the important things in place, the
rest is just polish and I get the feeling that 2017 is going to be the year in
which these three start to shine.
More information: https://www.facebook.com/BerriesBand/?fref=ts
Live Dates:
30th November – Tooting Tram & Social, London
w/Signals + Faux + Atiptoe (FREE ENTRY)