Cardiff based Crystalline Band formed in 2017 and immediately set about making rock music that is hard to classify as pure rock. Led by singer Eva Mullen, Crystalline comprise Elliott Packham on drums, Elouann Chilou on lead guitar, Matt Lines on rhythm guitar and Ed Thomas on bass. In addition, guitarist Ben Ross and Jack Melly on Bass feature on their new EP Of Unsound Mind. The result is many influences coming together to form six tracks that encompass classic 90’s rock and metal along with indie and garage.
Before you read on, Crystalline are giving a FREE download of “Poison”, to Angry Baby readers. If you’re not already subscribed to Angry Baby, just pop the email address that you’d like it delivered to here and it will be on its way to you straight away, together with a bumper collection of music that has been shared by Angry Baby. The music comes from outstanding artists that you may not have heard before. With a mix of rock, pop, folk…you name it…there’s bound to be something new that floats your musical boat, and all for free! What’s not to like about that?!
At first listen, Of Unsound Mind is one of the things it says it is: classic rock / metal music of the 1990’s. However, the songs are cleverly written to draw you into the other elements of indie, pop and garage with the odd acoustic moment thrown in throughout, so much so that you’re half way through before you realise just what clever writing this is. The first three tracks of the EP demonstrate this perfectly – catchy hooks and brilliant guitar riffs combine with phenomenal vocals from Eva, who then leads you into the calmer waters of ‘Shelter Me’.
Having brought us to this point, the band then bring in a much more pared back, touching on the acoustic, sound of ‘Little Boy Lost’, the outstanding track of the six. This track has an almost elegiac feel and gives the listener some breathing space in which to savour both what has gone before and the contrasting rhythms and vocals of the present, before bursting back into the rockier rhythms of ‘Cocktail Carousel‘ and ‘Madman‘. Madman, the last track, has one of the most intriguing openers I’ve heard and thematically, the mid section and whole song form the most interesting part of the EP, bringing us slap bang to the title, Of Unsound Mind. It will keep you thinking long after you stop listening.
Crystalline’s advice for aspiring musicians is to “persevere, keep producing and keep trying” – something that all artists can no doubt attest to.
Of Unsound Mind was released in March on Sky Profile Records. Get your copy here.
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