Jiahu Symbols - EP Review: For The Good Times
The Jiahu
Symbols are an early language form found on 16 distinct markings discovered in China
in the late 1980's and estimated at 6000 years old. Not thought to be joined up
writing, more a precursor.
For The Good Times is the new EP from a current incarnation of the Jiahu Symbols, now an emo band from Auckland, bursting with energy and cohesion and joined-upness in a shoe-gazey sort of way.
Five tracks in similar vein, with jangly soft starts which erupt into cascading chords, and It’s Always Right Now (Until It's Later) although it could be later. Rasping raw vocals softened by harmony. Solid and tight, this band apply textures and scale, and while the vocals are at times a little off range, there is a range, and they add the emo to the core and the punk to the gaze. Not far off Robert Smith getting angry and singing about it. Hard driving softens effortlessly to melody and riffs are appealing.
Congrats on Yr Retirement oozes cynicism about the corporate farewell to the long-term worker who gets to make something useful of his life on the breaking back of boredom. Thanks for your service. Buy a lotto ticket.
Northern Exposure explodes like a dry-cleaning backing track with frantic riffing and an impossible to do drum closure. Released as a single last year, but all the songs could be singles, except maybe Love Ephemera which is a little too pretty to be shouted out loud. Until halfway through. Then it’s a single.
Sub Drop concludes a bunch of appealing songs and tight rhythms. A very fine effort indeed.
Jiahu Symbols are brothers Andrew and Lachlan Murray-Brown (guitars, and vocals), Howl Griffiths on drums and Mitch Cramer on bass. For The Good Times has been out since July 7th so catch up with it and enjoy.
About Jiahu Symbols
Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for Jiahu Symbols
Releases
Other Reviews By roger.bowie
Album Review: Subset BC
16 Dec 2023 // by roger.bowie
Here’s an interesting little thing from Gisborne. A funky little band with three bass players.
Read More...
12 Dec 2023 // by roger.bowie
Get your heads around this line-up: The singers: Jon Toogood, (lead and backing vocals), Julia Deans (lead and backing vocals), Dianne Swann (lead and backing vocals and occasional guitar), Samuel Flynn Scott (vocals and guitar), James Milne (lead and backing vocals), Milan Borich (Mick vocals) The players: Jol Mulholland (guitars and vocals), Brett Adams (lead guitar and vocals), Mike Hall (bass), Matthias Jordan (keyboards), Alastair Deverick (drums), Finn Scholes (trumpet, clarinet and percussion), Nick Atkinson (sax and percussion). Stopped spinning?
Read More...
A Crude Mechanical - Album Review: Discourse
08 Dec 2023 // by roger.bowie
Shane Warbrooke doesn’t believe in lyrics, because of the risk of lyrics being hi-jacked and meanings bent to suit ideologies which he doesn’t like. Well, such ideologies which most of us don’t like, truth be known, but then again, Beethoven didn’t write lyrics, so the freedom of speech counter argument only goes so far.
Read More...
Gig Review: The Phoenix Foundation @ Hollywood Avondale, Auckland - 24/11/2023
26 Nov 2023 // by roger.bowie
This is a first of many things. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen The Phoenix Foundation play live.
Read More...
Velvet Arrow - Album Review: Songs of Solitude
17 Nov 2023 // by roger.bowie
A Song Of Hope & Fear would normally be a contradiction in terms unless darkness prevails and light shines through, which is an appropriate metaphor for the debut album from Whangarei’s Velvet Arrow and the opening song, with Dan Stenhouse’s husky voice helping us through the night against a ghostly horror wail from Hannah Jane. After all it’s just a song to help you through the night, just the words that speak, it’s not real.
Read More...
13 Nov 2023 // by roger.bowie
What a feast of nostalgia we’ve had from Liberty Stage (Simone Williams) these past few years, as New Zealand’s finest have Come Together to cover the classic albums which made the soundtracks of our youth. In addition to this, there have also been special tributes like Tami Neilson’s rock ‘n roll party with Dinah Lee, just last month.
Read More...
Dimmer - Album Review: Live At The Hollywood
09 Nov 2023 // by roger.bowie
Wow, not very often that we see alive album these days, an unusual beast, but that’s we have, a 14-track monster from Dimmer, recorded from last year’s sold-out trilogy at the Hollywood Avondale. Which, if you didn’t get to go last year, you can still see on December 2nd at the Powerstation, unless, like me, you are going instead to The War on Drugs.
Read More...
Killergrams - EP Review: Lonely Nights In A Little Town
27 Oct 2023 // by roger.bowie
Someone walked out, and Tom Maxwell has lost his mind, in a gentle, acoustic way. Then his mind explodes in a cacophony of chaos, which might just be what it feels like, losing something that important.
Read More...
Most Viewed Artists
Latest Galleries
NZ Top 10 Singles
- APT.
ROSÉ And Bruno Mars - DIE WITH A SMILE
Lady Gaga And Bruno Mars - BIRDS OF A FEATHER
Billie Eilish - TASTE
Sabrina Carpenter - I LOVE YOU, I'M SORRY
Gracie Abrams - ESPRESSO
Sabrina Carpenter - SAILOR SONG
Gigi Perez - LOSE CONTROL
Teddy Swims - A BAR SONG (TIPSY)
Shaboozey - GOOD LUCK, BABE!
Chappell Roan
More Content on muzic.net.nz
Google Site Search
100% New Zealand Music
All content on this website is copyright to muzic.net.nz and other respective rights holders. Redistribution of any material presented here without permission is prohibited.
Report A Problem
