[avatar =”Ross” size=”50″ align=”left” /]
Given the choice between straight-forward pedal to the floor hard rock and something a bit out of my comfort zone, the former always wins. Why? Because it’s comfortable. Any functioning human being would. That said, in the last couple of years, I’ve wanted to look past comfortable and broaden my horizons.
That’s where The Microdance comes in. Left-field for my tastes and still thoroughly enjoyable, their debut album, New Waves of Hope merges a whole load of rock sub-genres together and it comes together in a nice, cohesive package.
With a blend of shoegaze, new wave, goth pop and heavy metal all evenly balanced, you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s an album pulling in various directions. Yet it’s not. Everything blends together seamlessly.
Alex Keevill’s vocals and synth work make for the soothing moments of the album which is where their work shines brightest. Some songs I could imagine being used by Apple to this week’s iPhone like “The Weight of Holding You Up”, “Making Plans for the End” or “The City Was Cruel to Our Love”.
But it’s when the band heads into heavier territory that things get interesting with songs like “Mudlark”, “Mi Perro Blanco” and “Smithereens”. With Keevil also on guitars alongside Gavin Mata Hari, it shows how The Microdance could have been a straightforward metal band. The driving bass from Cheryl Pinero on “Mi Perro Blanco” only further underlines this. “Come Back To Me My Lover in the Sky” has a similarly massive bass groove which forms the bulk of the song.
Had someone described the music of The Microdance to me, I’d have probably not given it my time. However, New Waves of Hope is a pleasant surprise and is an enjoyable album. One which must be listened to as a whole. I’m certainly looking forward to hearing more from them in the future.
