Review: Of Empires - Stranger Sensations
Of Empires
Stranger Sensations
Fuelled by radio-friendly indie rock melodies, Brighton-bred rock outfit Of Empires’ debut EP Stranger Sensations is a short burst of solid but unoriginal indie-infused rock. Noticeably less blues-focused than previous work, the EP is a relaxed classic rock & roll release meant for warm summer days.
Vocalist Jack Fletcher leads the way with his confident vocal performance, but the infectious guitar riffs and accompanying drumbeats are the real strong point here. These features reach their peak on final track ‘Stranger’, a track that defies much of the EP by showing that the band can still stomp with the best of them, despite the more laid-back sound to the EP. The bridge is the major selling point – an undeniably catchy riff and flawlessly simple drumbeat combine to create the EP’s best moment.
Of Empires show that they are more than capable of writing catchy guitar melodies throughout, though their inspirations are not exactly hard to identify. The Arctic Monkeys-esque guitar-work that accompanies the chorus on ‘I Want You To Get Mad’ is great, but the similarities are all too conspicuous. Elsewhere, the EP’s bluesiest moments sound a lot like The Black Keys, while the melodies sound like they’ve been ripped straight out of the Britpop scene.
Ultimately, however, few could deny that Stranger Sensations holds some classic rock riffs slowed down and given new life by a modern twist. The influences may be obvious, but they combine to create something new.
8.0/10
George Parr