Album Review- Civil Villains- Motion Sick

 

As Review by Anselm Anderson

Alt-rock newcomers Civil Villains released their highly-anticipated album Motion Sick a few weeks back. This a follow-up to the debut EP Snake Oil. The trio include influences from widespread as David Bowie and QOTSA to create a unique blend of dark instrumentation, angular riffs and soft vocal melodies.

Formed in London back in 2016, the trio have worked hard through their dedication to the art via two North American tours and support slots to such luminaries as Bellevue Days, Poly-Math and Kid Kapichi. Recorded at Shaken Oak Studios by Mike Bannard (Foals, Glass Animals), Motion Sick is the finished article of years of hard work.

The LP begins on a sombre note with the instrumental intro of 'Funeral Rouge' setting the scene for the first half of the album. The unstable  'Mortuary Blues' kicks things off with its jagged riffs and clever use of pull and tension building the atmosphere to an unsettling end. The mix of bluesy vocals and harsh ones further amplifies the struggles of the music.

Next up is 'Bayou Autonomy' which echoes the tension of the previous track with lead vocalist James King's cries at the centre of a duel between the grooves of bassist Mark Hudson and King's chilling guitar rhythms. The album takes a trip through various genre changes and carefully constructed riffs to tell stories of social observations. 

Civil Villains attempt to change direction at the halfway stage with stripped-back melodic tracks like 'Nightbloom', 'Petrichor' and 'Present Tense' offering a reprieve to the hectic and unpredictable tracks like 'Cornerstone' and 'Anaesthesia Whores'.

And finally, the energetic 'Cavalier Blonde' perks things up towards the end with its bluesy leads, irregular rhythms and catchy chorus wrapping up an interesting introduction to Civil Villains.

Overall, Civil Villians aim to overcome motion sickness with a slick release that finds a way to blend genres as diverse as, blues, metal, and rock into crafted songwriting and intelligent lyrical content.

'Motion Sick' is now available via all good streaming and distribution outlets.

Follow this link here to keep updated with all the latest news, interviews, and reviews from Rambling Man.

Social Media Links

https://twitter.com/CivilVillains

https://www.instagram.com/civil_villains

https://www.facebook.com/civilvillainsband

https://open.spotify.com/artist/7u2kiFIIHeCkf9mUecXJ3p


CIVIL VILLAINS are: 

James King - Lead vocalist and guitar;

 Mark Hudson – Bass; 

Toby Warren - Drums and additional vocals.

Click on the video links via the Civil Villains Youtube channel below to watch 'Mortuary Blue' and 'Cornerstone'

Mortuary Blue (Official Video)

Cornerstone (Official Music Video)