Samuel Dales is a Melbourne musician who is driven to capture the intensity and urgency of each raw note. First emerging as a solo artist in 2014 with his debut solo album Waking from Life, this was a first look into Dales as an artist on his own terms. His new album Past is Perfect comfortably fits into pop to metal territory and everything in-between. The album sees Dales flitting through genres, but what he keeps consistent is a sound that is clearly and uniquely his own. The music is in parts joyful and sorrowful, but what is unmistakable is the impassioned delivery. Dales throws everything he has into this project, and the results are beyond gratifying.
Past is Perfect starts off with the title track “Past Is Perfect,” where distorted guitars make up a wall of reverb towards the beginning as beats trickle in. It appears Dales is singing his heart out, as he belts out the lyrics with great enthusiasm. The music feels loud and energized. A whole lot of emotion could be felt behind Dale’s powerful vocals. Without wasting any time, the music gets going right away on “Floodgates.” The head-on intensity of the music could be felt in the get-go. Warbling synths sound off to great effect. Gradually, the music builds in momentum growing in sound. Toward the outro, the band is fully jamming out. Feedback reverberates toward the start, as some heavy bass lines arrest “Landfall.” The vocals are full-on tinged with a metal and hard rock vibe. This piece flips between soft and aggressive, showing glimpses of Dales’ range. You never know what you will be getting and this leaves audiences’ guessing throughout. His progressive rock influences could really be seen here. On the colossal “Future Man,” Dales expands his sound for this epic sounding number. This track is lengthier with over nine minutes in recording time. A pensive piano melody starts off this song as some sparse guitar riffs sound out. The vibe is introspective and contemplative. Next, the sound becomes more explosive with a melee of guitars becoming a wall of sound. The vibe has a hard rock edge to it. The sound just builds and builds. The rage-fueled vocals add a touch of aggression to the music. A bass adds a melodious flavor to “Casino.” As a melancholy piano melody leans into the sounds, synths in the backdrop become a part of the ambience. Dales’ vocals are filled with emotion and feeling. I was greatly carried away by the ebb and flow of the music. Some bass lights up the start of “Twin Flame.” Soon a drumming beat races in, keeping an even tempo. The percussions clashes in the backdrop. The sounds become heavy in rhythms. Dales’ voice comes through. The tribal beats really set the tone to this track. What sounds like orchestral strings add to the dynamism. On “Tidal King” bass and synths weave together for an altogether atmospheric sound. A fuller band sound tackles this song in the next instant. The sounds are a welling of emotion. The music feels larger-than-life as Dales mixes some soft and heavy rock into his sounds.“Progenitor” is another epic sounding track with over ten minutes of recording time. A hypnotic piano melody greets the start of this song. Next, the piano tunes grow in melody and starts to sound like something from a Tim Burton film. The melody is very haunting and eerie sounding. Next, some synths and choral background vocals come in, adding to the other-worldly ambience. Some beats shake up this track as giant sounding guitars race in. Dales’ vocals are straight-edged rock once they enter. A tribal beat backs him. Some autotunes add some distortion to the vocal effects. Sparse guitar riffs become more dynamic in traction as a full band sound makes an appearance on “Higher.” The sound is totally charged. Packed with reverberating emotional emphasis and passionate delivery, the closer feels very impactful. The song heavily leans on keys for the electronic impulse. The album finishes with this effective closer. A home-recording, the album was a solo record in the truest sense – Dales played all the instruments himself as well as engineering and mixing the album in his home studio. Borrowing instances from pop, prog and metal, the album is able to dip into different genres while also appearing cohesive as a whole. Holding the record together is Dales’ talent as a musician and vocalist. The album has influences in classic rock, but more than anything his sound is his own. Filled with immediacy and a raw intensity, this was a good start and I look forward to seeing where he goes from here.
Become A Fan
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
Critique/insightWe are dedicated to informing the public about the different types of independent music that is available for your listening pleasure as well as giving the artist a professional critique from a seasoned music geek. We critique a wide variety of niche genres like experimental, IDM, electronic, ambient, shoegaze and much more.
Are you one of our faithful visitors who enjoys our website? Like us on Facebook
Archives
May 2024
|