CHILD - Healer EP (2015)
Los Angeles' CHILD offer a enjoyable
mixture of no-BS riffage, hazy psychedelic rock, and petulant,
strutting grooves. It's clear from the first song of their second
release, Healer, that CHILD are all about getting straight to
the point, saying what they have to say and getting the hell out. The EP's longest song is only 5 minutes and with the whole thing
lasting a mere 20 minutes, the release certainly doesn't outstay its
welcome.
The most striking thing about Healer's
five songs is how focused they are. In a music landscape where many
bands of CHILD's ilk work long atmospheric intros and extended spacy
jams into their songs, CHILD feel punchy and very immediate.
The vocals are the most unusual aspect
of the band - on all of Healer's five songs, the singer is
bathed in reverb and echo, giving a trippy vibe to an otherwise
fairly straight-up rock sound. I generally tend to associate the
sort of to-the-point riffage that CHILD trade in with reasonably
clean, powerful vocals, perhaps in the vein of John Garcia or even
Ozzy Osbourne. Instead, what we get here is something that I would
generally associate more with a slow-burning psych rock band than the
riff-centric stoner rock of CHILD. While it might be a little
unexpected, it gives the band the unique edge that is needed to set
any group apart in such a crowded scene. It can at times be a little
difficult to understand the lyrics - which is a shame as they are
interesting – however, the juxtaposition of riff rock and hazy
psych works well for them and definitely sets CHILD as their own
band.
Also of note is the abundance of
memorable motifs and solid hooks on this EP. The pleasingly crunchy
riff of “Window” reminds me of early Queens Of The Stone Age,
while “Mountain” has an intro riff that will refuse to leave your
head for a long time. While Healer is brief to the point of
fleeting, those with a taste for rock solid riffs and psychedelic
inflections will find a lot to enjoy here.
~ Martin
For Fans Of; Black Sabbath, Earthless, Kadavar, Kyuss, Queens Of The Stone Age
~
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