Brighton-dwelling Slung released their debut album last month. With inspiration from the likes of Deftones, Fleetwood Mac and Chappel Roan, I was quite curious as to that would sound like..
Answer: It sounds pretty good.
Like a scene in The Bronze from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, In Ways is an aethereal ‘90s gothic sound. The influences are noticeable, yet Slung are on their way to creating their own sound and identity. It is a little messy, and some songs stand out more than others. Regardless, as a debut album, I am really impressed.
Starting with Laughter, I was tricked into thinking they were punk. A very good, strong start to the album. It’s a confident song and does stick out on the album as one of the heavier tracks. Other than Laughter and Matador, which is quite a fun-sounding, bouncy track, the songs are quite gentle, with more of a narrative within the lyrics. The album is made up of quite emotive, personal stories of the members which I think is done well, with a good balance of between the lyrics and melodies. Nothing gets forgotten about, or overpowered.
Fan favourites, so far, seem to be Laughter, Collider and Thinking About It. My personal favourite is probably the saddest sounding, Nothing Left. It is a very slow, melancholic song which seems to be about feeling lost, or at least dissatisfied with your situation. I also like Falling Down, the final track of In Ways. Another somber song, but I felt it was a good way to finish the album. It starts so fast, with so much energy. It feels natural to end on such a soft note.
I hope my words do it justice, because it genuinely is a beautiful album. I’m a bit disappointed I missed Slung’s mini-May tour, because it’s one of those albums that I’d love to hear live.
In Ways is out now, go have a listen!
