I was born just a little too late to experience the glory days of britpop in the 90s. Whether you are a fan of Britpop or not (and for that matter, whether you're team Oasis or Blur), it is hard to deny that there is a distinctive guitar sound that brings back a certain nostalgia.
I'm no expert, but if I had to piece together a timeline, I'd trace the roots of this particular sound back to the likes of The Fall and similar post-punk. It goes without saying, Johnny Marr's guitar work for The Smiths is the sound that instantly comes to mind when we think of 'jangle'. This has been kept alive through the late 90s/early 2000s (think early Radiohead), and in the mid 2000s with the likes of the Coral, Razorlight, and similar indie-pop groups.
Since then, there has been a notable lull. True, we have generally moved away from guitar led music, and so 'indie-pop' (a genre most recently associated with the sound) seems to have little room to blossom. There are some bands incorporating similar themes (Catfish & The Bottlemen, Blossoms), but their clean production is a sharp contrast with the raw sound of the earlier examples.
This morning, I opened Spotify and picked my 'Release Radar' playlist for my commute to work. I'll be honest, my blind faith in the algorithm doesn't always play off, but I still give the Radar a listen each friday to make sure I'm not missing anything cool. This time, however, a song instantly caught my attention.
'Find Your Soul' opens with some simple, punchy guitar lines but quickly drops to a stripped down verse. This works well, as it brings real emphasis to the return of the full band in the pre-chorus. The chorus, however, is what leads me to write this article. The lead guitar and vocals instantly evoke a nostalgia for that jangly britpop sound. The sound is undoubtedly new, but certainly harkens back to time that I'm sure many guitarists will be fond of.
I was driving when I first heard the song, so I checked the playlist when I was safely parked up. The song is part of a 4-track EP from Liverpool 4-piece Echoes. They do have some other songs published but this seems to be their most polished and well produced effort yet, and I'm pretty confident this is what will garner them the attention they deserve.
The second track, Being a Girl Like You, is a more riffy number, leaning towards the indie-rock side of the spectrum. I love the breakdown, where a change in the rhythm chord progression is nicely underpinned by the riff motif.
History is as sweet and straight-forward as a love song can be. I guess a Liverpool band has to have some Beatles influence right? The liquid bassline brings a great sense of movement to the song, and thankfully, the jangly guitar lines are back.
By My Side is the moodiest of the four songs. The thematic change is brilliant, and serves as a nice closer to the EP. Equal parts ballad and rhythmic thumper, listeners will definitely be rewarded for seeing this EP to the end.
Maybe I need to let go of the guitar-based music of the past. But then again, why should we? Plus, enough time has passed that nostalgia is sure to bring back the demand for this type of music. Either way, Echoes have a new fan in me, and I'd implore you to join me and get in here early.
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