Nature of the Pure - Newfound Reasons to Play Martyr

Nature of the Pure

Newfound Reasons to Play Martyr
self-released; 2015

3.3 out of 5

By Ted Rogen

Jaydon Charles and Danny Bullocks are the duo that makes up Nature of the Pure. The band is in the embryonic stage of their development but still managed to release Newfound Reasons to Play Martyr. Newfound Reasons to Play Martyr suffers from the same thing a lot of bands that are still developing their sound fall victim to. The duo pokes at a number of different genres and styles but does little to develop a niche sound for themselves. Each song sounds very different from the other leaving you scratching your head as what to expect next. There are some inspired moments along the way, which they will want to explore further while others fall flat. 

The album starts with “Nature of the Pure” which begins with a simple drumbeat, bass and clean picked guitar. The first thing I was drawn to was the rapping that entered into the song around the fifty-second mark. I’m not sure if it was Bullocks or Charles but I hope they utilize his skills more in the future. He has a unique style and delivery I think a lot of people will enjoy. 

The highlight of the EP was unequivocally “Fountain of Lost Youth.” It’s the one song that is seamless and extremely well put together. Both vocalists shine on this song. On top of that the music is inventive. Hopefully, the band uses this song as a foundation for some of their future material. After “Fountain of Lost Youth” the songs get a bit shaky in terms of vision and consistency. 

The forty-six second “Retrospect” would have worked better as an intro to the album. “Tourniquet” has some decent moments but there are also aspects that reminded me of Linkin Park which didn’t go down so good. The production buckles during the chorus and can’t handle the heavy distortion. “Past to Present” has some solid moments but also a bit of an identity crisis. It goes from singer/songwriter pop to a nostalgic meld of Coldplay and post-rock. “Memories and Melodies” delves in metal/hip-hop territory.

The duo is going to have to do some tweaking and think about their direction and get better sound quality on their next release if they want to take it to the next level. This might be a case of them working with a skilled producer who can guide them. In my opinion the duo may be onto something if they can take the strengths from “Fountain of Lost Youth” and utilize them on other songs. 

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