Racing might as well be noted right now as an ode to everything great about the New Zealand indie music scene. With Ed Knowles and Sven Pettersen from indie rock greats, The Checks, Daniel Barrett of Sherpa and Izaak Houston of Space Creeps they are destined to create a fusion that pleases every sense of your mind, body and power upon listening. You can guarantee this album will immerse you into a tasty expose of rock ‘n’ rolls true meaning come 2018, which is not only great talent, but it also provides a bold taste of other such influencing genres laced throughout.
With 13-tracks, this album felt long as I listened to it from beginning to end. It has a nice flow with true Rock n Roll proving itself with each track. Nothing was brought down enough to pick out a specifically slow track, which you often find with most bands to diversify an album or just allow them to chill out a bit in a live show. This album, however, was consistently a mind-blowing trip from intro to outro. The final track Australia is definitely the most mellow, allowing for a nice contrast between the first track, which is the pre-released single Motel Pool, and the rest of the album. Australia rounds off the album in a more floaty, upbeat Summer way, in comparison to the other powerful tracks on the album.
These songs are ones to see live rather than just sitting in your room studying its ins and outs. You need to physically experience this band to get a grasp of the feeling that beholds someone when their music moves bodies in a crowd. That’s when you can truly revisit the album.
My personal favourite track on the album is Party Slow, a single released early October which provides a singalong for the masses with its ultra-catchy lyrics and fast, ascending beat. The vocals are absolutely insane and provide only a taste of what Ed Knowles voice can do.
Racing are amazingly talented musicians, and their new album is available on iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify and anywhere you can find good music. Their singles pair up with great music videos that create a visual feast for anyone who loves a good music video.
Auckland-based four piece, Racing, take rock and roll and inject it with a chemical haze so potent the listener is left both pleased and punished. Once likened to “the thoughts of a crocodile in flood season”, the band crafts a swirling sea of groove and hypnosis into rock anthems drenched in weird tropical dance music.
Racing released their debut album Real Dancing in 2019. They were subsequently nominated for Best Rock Artist at the 2019 Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards. Singles Motel Pool, Run Wild and Party Slow all reached number one on the rock music charts.
Racing is made up of long-time collaborators Ed Knowles (vocals) and Sven Pettersen (guitar); two crucial parts to the colossus that was The Checks. The two time Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards winners (Best Rock Album) from Auckland, made their way into the pages of NME while sharing the stage with Oasis, REM, The Hives, AC/DC, The Killers and Muse on different tours. Knowles and Pettersen are joined by two other heavy hitters from the Kiwi Alternative scene - Daniel Barrett (Bass) formerly of Sherpa and Izaak Houston (Drums) formerly of Space Creeps.