As a band who have so far put out music with a vision of grandeur behind it, it would feel like a disservice to say Bristol’s White Noise Radio is simply a band for fans of massive hard rock riffs. But their self-titled EP was a source of massive blasts of distortion that hooked you instantly before guiding you through their expansive and ambitious progressive rock passages.
Follow-up EP ‘Cosmos’ is a continuation of this splendour, which trades any form of indulgence for hooks, and by hooks, we mean the kind of anthemic choruses that recall Incubus at their finest, delivered with a cathartic sense of urgency from frontman Antoine Maas.
Maas’ versatile vocal performance across the EP gives these songs a varying degree of mood, making changes in structure and flow unpredictable. Opener ‘Siren’ demonstrates this interchangeability, as the track flows between lush and spacious textured verses and stratospheric choruses fuelled by Mass’ spirit of defiance. This contrast between the two styles complement each other effectively, and gives the groove-laden rhythms in ‘Gone Inside’ an extra boost of energy, while the morose tones of ‘Dawning’ and ‘Wires’ are allowed to brood in the post-rock soundscaping the rhythm section craft so effortlessly.
While the songs on this EP are a thrilling prospect alone, thinking of the potential this band displays for future releases is really exciting. With a bigger budget and more expansive production, White Noise Radio could take the craft shown across ‘Cosmos’ and expand on it to create a more textured album with greater choruses and hooks, that could take them straight out of the underground and into the big league. Not bad for a band that just write good riffs.
4/5
‘Cosmos’ EP by White Noise Radio is out now.
White Noise Radio links:Facebook|Twitter|Bandcamp
Words by Andy Davidson (@AndyrfDavidson)
