Spelling Bee Champions - Charles

Spelling Bee Champions

Charles
self-released; 2020
​
3.7 out of 5

By My Nguyen

Spelling Bee Champions is a brand-new project based out of Grand Rapids, MI, comprised of Sean, Andrea and Dexter. The band is releasing their latest EP entitled Charles.

With a sound similar to El Ten Eleven, Tera Melos, The Physics House Band, among others, the sounds off Charles ranges from shoegaze-y soundscapes through epic anthems to shimmery chill-out vibes. The sounds contain an ambience that is in part dream-like and hazy. Drifting with mellow and laid-back notes, the easy-going vibes on these set of songs will soothe and relax listeners. As the sound progresses, a bit of dissonance adds in an unwavering off-kilter effect.

Charles opens up with “Waiting For The New Year,” where the sounds on this track are soft and undulate with an experimental shoegaze-y pulse. The guitars are shimmering and rev up with full range, creating a wall of sound. A bit of dissonance wavers in from the vocals, which are a crush of background noise. It is hard to make out the vocals as they entirely consist of screams.

Following is “I Will,” where gnarly sounding guitar riffs rev out in the start of this song. The cadences are gritty and ominous sounding. The synths offer up a bit of ambience. Radio-active guitar solos launch out toward the two-minute mark.

Bouncy electronic beats pave the start of “Dexter On The Go.” Full-ranging guitars reverberate overhead on this track. The sounds are dark and gnarly.

On the closer “Suspended In Motion (dreaming…),” moody bass lines start off this song. The sounds are ominous with a rhythms-heavy pulse. A drumming beat also accompanies the bass. The synths add in an electric layer.

​My only complaint was that these songs weren’t long enough. The lengthiest song was around three-minutes. Though I was hungry for more, I thought the band was able to unpack a lot in the relative short amount of time spent in each track. Charles is an album on a platform of its own. With their kinetic energy and tight-knit chemistry, the band jams together with an ever-evolving rapport. Their experiences, background and tastes permeate this group of songs, and I can’t wait to hear more from them.

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