Thursday 5 September 2013

Gangs of Ballet: Yes/No/Grey


Release date: 30 August 2013
Genre: Pop; Alternative, Melodic, Anthemic
Length: 51 minutes
Label: EMI Music South Africa
Similar artists: Switchfoot; Relient K; Muse, The Killers
Rating: 4/5

The band has said that they want to create anthemic music. What does that mean? So glad you asked. It means to create music that becomes an anthem, music that people want to sing along to. It is a type of music that is very difficult to create, if it fails it can be devastating.

This new band from Durban South Africa has a good look, they fit in with the new fashion of today's music scene. That is not enough. You have to have a sound that backs it up. Brad, the lead singer, has a very good stage presence, but once again, this isn't enough. Do they have the stuff to back it up?

Bursting onto the scene in 2012 at the Switchfoot concert in South Africa, Gangs of Ballet have gone form strength to strength. Being the first opening band to receive an encore, I was excited for their debut album. Excited, but also apprehensive. I was not sure if they would be able to follow their EP up with a full album that would be at an international level.

At their album launch at The World Of Yamaha I had my worries eased as I heard them blast out their set list. The most important thing was not their performance though, it was the success of their mission. As I looked around the crowd, I was hard pressed to find anyone not chanting along with the band. I knew then that they had arrived.

The album is good. Many genres mixed into one album, but yet somehow Brad and the Gang make them work. The tone of his voice is versatile and able to hold a captive audience regardless of whether its a slower, more folk song or a rockier song. The band backs him up well with talented rhythm guitar and the occasional solo. Personally I believe that the band is best suited to their alternative rock songs, as well as the one or to songs that have a more folk sound to them, but that is just a preference.

You can be sure that this band is going places, their sound is good and they have supreme backing with EMI, so get this album and see for yourself.

Song of the week goes to "All these things"

Have a Rocking week everyone

J

2 comments:

  1. Hey J

    I've been dying to hear their new material, ever since I heard their song 'this love'. The band's style appears to be contemporary but also very fresh..this is one band that's gonna go far.

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  2. Hey Edwin

    I agree with you, their sound is more contemporary than what I was anticipating, however I do believe that they are still trying to discover their sound, once they do I am very excited for what will come.

    Thanks for your comment

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