Rocker (feedbot)
Gold Member
Fresh from an additionally added date last night, Brighton trio Jar of Blind Flies are opening for Vower’s original sold-out show at basement venue The Lower Third. With 2022 debut album ‘Mia’ and single ‘Not Your Baby’ released earlier this year, they blend nineties grunge with more modern alt-rock and metal elements. Rolling drums and fuzzy bass give way to crashing cymbals and husky vocals, the low ceilings of the venue adding to the garage-rock feel.
Slower numbers see vocalist and guitarist Maddy Jarvis leaning into the anguished tones of the grunge era, punctuated by screams from drummer Marley Perez which add texture and depth, nodding towards the heavier direction of the newer material. With reverberating bass and some impactful shifts in dynamics, there are moments of intricacy that reveal the band’s evolution. Jarvis downs the guitar for ‘Angels’, the powerful vocals have a primal quality that carry over the crashing drums and driving bass.
Jar of Blind Flies’ performance is still a little rough around the edges at times, but the fundamentals of their modern take on grunge are promising and it will be exciting to see what direction they head in next.
The simple, clean guitar chords to open Vower’s set erupt into a bass-fuelled, intricately layered cacophony of sound that sets the tone for the rest of the evening. Vocalist Josh Mckeown’s unmistakeable tuneful, passionate screams and piercing focus are laid bare in this intimate setting, the emotion apparent with every note.
The post-hardcore and post-rock influences are evident, with the band seamlessly switching between syncopated time-signatures and filling the room with expansive soundscapes. New single ‘Satellites’ has the audience captivated, everyone swaying and nodding heads to the beat, whilst deft guitar work and resonant bass lines explode into the all-guns-blazing closing notes of ‘False Rituals’.
Mckeown tells the crowd “I know you guys are probably aware but you sold this venue out” and the intensity of the music is broken for a moment as he looks genuinely thrilled to be here. Commenting that it’s “truly outrageous behaviour” as they’ve only released five songs, Mckeown perhaps underestimates the impact that this expert merging of such beloved bands has had on fans. Mixing the musical talents of Black Peaks, Palm Reader and Toska was always going to be an intriguing prospect, but these five musicians have combined forces with such skill, balancing tight instrumentation with hauntingly unbridled passion.
Blending slower, groove-laden tempos with achingly heavy breakdowns and meteoric riffs, Vower display a level of synergy that’s rare even for long-accomplished bands. Their talent is underpinned by a sense of authenticity that’s amplified in such an intimate space, where their emotive delivery becomes an immersive experience.
Preceding closer ‘Shroud’, Mckeown once again thanks the crowd for their support and triggers a wave of endearing laughter as he declares “There’s so much love, now I’ve got to be angry”. Unsurprisingly, the room is treated to one final display of controlled brutality as the band thunder through their last track of the evening with a beautifully constructed mix of melodic vocals, devastating riffs and precision rhythms.
It feels like a privilege to have experienced Vower in such a small venue, and if they keep the momentum they’ve already gathered in the short time they’ve been together, it’s likely that much bigger things are on the horizon.
ELLIE ODURNY
Slower numbers see vocalist and guitarist Maddy Jarvis leaning into the anguished tones of the grunge era, punctuated by screams from drummer Marley Perez which add texture and depth, nodding towards the heavier direction of the newer material. With reverberating bass and some impactful shifts in dynamics, there are moments of intricacy that reveal the band’s evolution. Jarvis downs the guitar for ‘Angels’, the powerful vocals have a primal quality that carry over the crashing drums and driving bass.
Jar of Blind Flies’ performance is still a little rough around the edges at times, but the fundamentals of their modern take on grunge are promising and it will be exciting to see what direction they head in next.
The simple, clean guitar chords to open Vower’s set erupt into a bass-fuelled, intricately layered cacophony of sound that sets the tone for the rest of the evening. Vocalist Josh Mckeown’s unmistakeable tuneful, passionate screams and piercing focus are laid bare in this intimate setting, the emotion apparent with every note.
The post-hardcore and post-rock influences are evident, with the band seamlessly switching between syncopated time-signatures and filling the room with expansive soundscapes. New single ‘Satellites’ has the audience captivated, everyone swaying and nodding heads to the beat, whilst deft guitar work and resonant bass lines explode into the all-guns-blazing closing notes of ‘False Rituals’.
Mckeown tells the crowd “I know you guys are probably aware but you sold this venue out” and the intensity of the music is broken for a moment as he looks genuinely thrilled to be here. Commenting that it’s “truly outrageous behaviour” as they’ve only released five songs, Mckeown perhaps underestimates the impact that this expert merging of such beloved bands has had on fans. Mixing the musical talents of Black Peaks, Palm Reader and Toska was always going to be an intriguing prospect, but these five musicians have combined forces with such skill, balancing tight instrumentation with hauntingly unbridled passion.
Blending slower, groove-laden tempos with achingly heavy breakdowns and meteoric riffs, Vower display a level of synergy that’s rare even for long-accomplished bands. Their talent is underpinned by a sense of authenticity that’s amplified in such an intimate space, where their emotive delivery becomes an immersive experience.
Preceding closer ‘Shroud’, Mckeown once again thanks the crowd for their support and triggers a wave of endearing laughter as he declares “There’s so much love, now I’ve got to be angry”. Unsurprisingly, the room is treated to one final display of controlled brutality as the band thunder through their last track of the evening with a beautifully constructed mix of melodic vocals, devastating riffs and precision rhythms.
It feels like a privilege to have experienced Vower in such a small venue, and if they keep the momentum they’ve already gathered in the short time they’ve been together, it’s likely that much bigger things are on the horizon.
ELLIE ODURNY