Fuzzed out guitars, thunderous drums, sneering snarling vocals, and keenly sharpened choruses that hook into your flesh and won’t let go.
Sedentary Nomads is monstrous in volume, ferocious in passionate performance, and completely feral in stomp along dancebility.
There are two very different sides to the band; one is soft and subtle while the other is harder than granite. With ‘Garage Princess‘ we are introduced to both allowing the vocals to flicker between the two singing a song with a punchy message; to walk your own path and not worry at all about others opinions.
‘Cant Feel The Rain‘ is a different beast altogether. The fuzzy guitars growl through the crackling speakers as they tear into a racous riff that clearly came to destroy. Towards the end of the track is a little instrumental break with an awing little flex on the guitar that snarls all the more powerfully for all that came before.
‘Send Me Down A Sign‘ saunters in with an anthemic energy that we haven’t heard before. It’s definitely got some of the biggest sing-a-long choral calls, along this doom fuelled dirge of daggering riffs and thundering drums.
The foot stomp is back in full effect for ‘Peekaboo‘ as the drums conjure a hypnotic rhythm that summons the listener along for the journey. The guitars march to the forefront of the sound with the beat laying down a red carpet of riffs for the vocals to strut their stuff down. Hiding in the middle of the track playing peekaboo with the listener is this black hole beast of a break and complete freakout; the band channel this cosmic energy to create unforgettable interstellar instrumentation.
‘Oh Luisa‘ is a song addressed directly to someone as a ballad or typical love song would be. There is nothing typical about No More Winters though and even compared to the other more romantically themed tracks in the album they are all starkly different in their message, tone, and lyrical leanings.
The luscious wailing guitar hook of ‘Never Stop Trying‘ instantly sinks itself into my ear. Employing liberal and lovely use of the snarling sex appeal of the slide. It’s the perfect track to follow the magnificent masterclass of bluesy rock’n’roll wizardry that came before.
The funky pick and slap of the intro to ‘I Didn’t Know‘ instantly establishes it as a standout. As the track progresses and the other instrumentation joins in with the finger clicking jazzy fusion fracas it only continues to grow and dig its claws in. Was ready to hit the repeat button on this one as soon as it was done.
‘What Could’ve Been‘ breaks the band’s sound down into its skeletal basics. It begins with the funeral march of the echoing drums, a haunting little skittering wiggle on the guitar picks out a melody. Both lyrically and vocally it is one of the most pure and raw on the album, there is blood in the ink of the pen and in the spittle left on the studios recording mic.
‘Hangman’s Creek‘ sticks with the country swing weaving a rich narrative into the jangling swagger of the guitars. It is incredibly well put together with a focus on the story and a testament to the strong song writing skill of the band.
‘Aint So Bad‘ has an easy sleazy surfing rock’n’roll riff. It’s instantly familiar and accessible but shows off the slick production, gorgeous layering, and masterfully tight instrumentation that the rest of the album builds on.
The albums pre-finale comes in the form of ‘Wrong Train‘. It is a celebration and climactic conclusion of everything that came before: a wiggling and filthy main riff, irresistible toe tapping rhythm, bubbling bass that resonates within your very soul. Lyrically it dances and has a fun fuelled flex that reminds what the album has been all about.
The banjo twang and porch stomping hootenanny of ‘Gotta Come Home‘ brings a little more country to the sound. The nomadic nature of the band’s sound takes great pleasure in drawing from many different influences to craft a truly eclectic and exciting blend entirely their own.
No More Winters are genre gypsies, travelling the world of music, collecting keepsake patches from everywhere they visit. Sedentary Nomads is a masterfully woven soundscape of vibrant colourful imagery, intrinsic and interesting instrumentation, and good ol’ knee slapping rhythms.
Support this incredible band and their genre trotting blend of blues rock by heading over to their Bandcamp and buying the album for yourselves.
Check out the band’s website to stay up to date with new releases and gigs.
Words by Matt Miles
