HARD-ROCKING: Welsh quartet The Undivided’s talent shines on their new record (l-r) Rhyd Mason, Joe Disson, Lew Bray and Craig Prosser
With crashing drums and soaring guitar, The Undivided are sure to burst straight out of the South Wales Valleys and right into the sphere of public consciousness following the release of their debut LP This New Day last month.
The alternative-rock band, who formed in 2010 after previous musical endeavors failed to reap rewards, have spent time writing and recording a drum-fuelled, honest album sure to turn the heads of anyone willing to listen.
It is these true and, in most cases, relatable lyrics which make the band and indeed their debut album stand out, with the meaning of the words sung by lead vocalist Joe Disson not lost amidst the electricity of Rhyd Mason, Craig Prosser and Lew Bray’s instruments.
‘This New Day’ kicks off the LP, with a unique choice of no instrumental at the beginning so common on most albums’ opening tracks. Instead, all focus is on Disson’s incredible vocals over a repeated guitar refrain, before the drums kick in and the band’s powerful noise comes to the forefront.
The statement of intent is not just in the lyrics – “I can be anything” – but in the way the track progressively builds up throughout and sets the scene for the rest of a stunning first album from the Welsh quartet.
Debut single ‘Worlds Apart’ follows, in keeping with the fiery rock sound that the band harnesses throughout the album as well as maintaining the upbeat tempo the opening track created. A calmer side of The Undivided is then showcased in ‘When the Lights Go Out,’ with much more focus on the lyrics before building up into pulsating instrumentals oozing energy and passion.
But the stand out of the LP comes in the form of ‘Fires’; a real anthem of a song that you can imagine filling O2 Academies, and wouldn’t even be out of place in arenas. The guitar-lead ‘Headlights’ is another close contender for this accolade; mixing slower-paced verses with energetic choruses laden with their signature drumming sound.
Although songs such as ‘Breathe’ and ‘Tiny Little Lights’ are tracks which you feel like you’ve heard before, this isn’t necessarily a criticism of a band who have pieced together an electric first album filled with ten incredibly strong songs.
‘Ghosts’ is arguably the most emotive number; with talk of losing touch with friends as they moved onto jobs which didn’t interest the group, whose clear love lies in making music – and making good music at that.
And they should be proud of the fact they stuck to their guns and chased their dreams. ‘Stand’ only confirms this; “why don’t we stand for something” is probably the most poignant line sang throughout the LP: as The Undivided are clearly standing for something here, most notably the combination of meaningful lyrics and incredibly melodic rock which have put them on course to be one of the most exciting bands to emerge from South Wales in decades.
Closing the album on a track entitled ‘Futures’ is incredibly apt: the band have a bright future ahead of them, with praise coming in thick and fast already from the likes of NME, XFM and Kerrang!
Relentless gigging, hard work and even housing themselves in a cottage in rural west Wales to record the majority of this LP are what’s got The Undivided here; and with a solid debut album in This New Day the heights of the music industry are sure to be reached, conquered, and indeed surpassed by the quartet, whose combination of moving lyricism and thundering guitar and drums make sure they’re a band who 2014 will not be able to ignore.
With thanks to Sonic PR.
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