Dead Writers are a UK old-school pop-rock band. Their hotly anticipated self-titled debut EP is set for release in December, and they put out their first single from it, Among Spirits, a week or so ago. Their vintage sound got us intrigued enough as it is that we had to review it, which you can read down below! Safe to say we were not disappointed!
The track opens on a beautiful clean guitar riff, sounding equal parts uplifting but also sinister, a hard line to walk but done well! The low vocals come in over the top and instantly transport me back to the 80s. The singer reminds me a lot of someone and it pissed me off for a long while, but I think I have it narrowed down to a combination of Jarvis Cocker and Ville Valo. It sounds fantastic over the top of the steady instrumentation and builds up even more into a catchy, fuller chorus. The guitars and drums pick up a bit for it and the vocals start to sore through a very catchy, 80s-style melody. I love it.
We get a great bridge part after the second chorus where the vocalist moves onto the piano to add some awesome and frankly epic-sounding depth behind a wah-led lead guitar line. It reminds me a fair bit of some of Bowie’s rockier stuff, especially with how long they let the part breathe, think ‘Moonage Daydream’. It’s a really beautiful part of the song and highlights the talent of each band member fantastically. We then get a brief final verse before a massive final chorus takes us home in style.
Overall: This was awesome. Considering I hadn’t heard anything of this band really before now, they definitely have a new fan in me! The 80s vibe was fantastic, but they modernised it well and put their own spin on it. I cannot wait for the full EP!
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