Curlys Jewels - Single Review: Liberate
Curlys Jewels are a Wellington-based hard
rock band comprising singer person, Jel Pollock, Aaron Ludlow (guitar), Andy
van der Heyden (bass) and Corey Bell (drums). Over the years they have played
with some of the heavyweights of the NZ scene such as Villainy, Devilskin
and The Feelers as well as supporting international acts such as Living Color
and have also had success in the NZ Top 40 Singles chart. If there is any
justice in the world then this release will find them right back up there, as
it screams class from beginning end. It kicks off with crunching guitars and I
found myself being reminded of Coridian, another band they have played with
in the past.
But these soon pass, and as we move into the verse it is all about Jel’s voice, with the rest of the guys providing delicate support (with some nicely layered keyboards). She has one of those voices that are rooted in the blues, is incredibly broad and able to convey huge emotions, and the structure of the arrangement is to put her right at the front. As with their last three singles this has been produced by Greg Haver (Manic Street Preachers) and mixed by Clint Murphy (Devilskin) and is incredibly polished and powerful. It is as we get into the bridge that the band fire up again, providing a hard edge for Jel to work against, and she revels in being able to open up and start to power up the range. When she gets to the chorus one realises the song has become an anthem and that everyone is going to be singing this when it is played live.
The guitar break after the chorus takes us back to the gentle picking of the first verse, and again we find the band hitting harder into the bridge and then back into the chorus again. This strong use of dynamics is incredibly powerful, as it accentuates the loud and makes the quiet even more poignant. There is a different bridge after the chorus this time, where Jel lifts her voice, taking us to new places with incredible passion and emotion coming through.
I can only hope that there is an album on the near horizon as based on this I really want to hear more.
About Curlys Jewels
The band has released a number or records over the years enjoying success on the Official NZ Top 40 Charts. The past 3 Curlys Jewels singles were recorded at Roundhead Studios with the legendary producer Greg Haver (Manic Street Preachers) and mixed by Clint Murphy (Devilskin).
Curlys Jewels have supported several heavy weight New Zealand bands such as Head Like a Hole, Devilskin, and toured with The Feelers. They also supported international rock stars Living Colour at their Wellington concert.
Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for Curlys Jewels
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