Bad Sounds have always played with sonic exuberance, but their latest full-length, "Escaping from a Violent Time," is a lifeline. Bouncing between the pop-punk energy of Green Day and the Day-Glo keyboard trill of the Cars, the British trio, made up of the brothers Callum and Ewan Merrett, uses its signature kaleidoscopic pop to create a much-needed safe space from the mishaps of the world.
The 12-track odyssey, which lasts 43 minutes and 28 seconds, is a call to arms and a standing invitation to dance out of dark times." Each tune constructs a lush, sonic utopia in which scrappy beats, cozy synths, and catchy melodies tangle, offering a heady blast of euphoria in the midst of modern life's turmoil.
Tracks such as "Sympathetic Vibrations" and "Move into Me" are immediately memorable and effortlessly combine groove-heavy rhythms with deep lyricism. Bad Sounds' genre-blending method, fusing indie, hip-hop, and psych-pop, makes Thems one of the most creative bands in the alternative scene today.
"Music has always been an escapism for us," the Merrett brothers share. "This album is about finding those little pockets of joy and clinging onto them with everything you have." "Escaping from a Violent Time" serves up not just escape but a reminder that the best way to combat the noise is with a louder, more fucking colorful, more defiant sound of our own.