In the interests of full disclosure I must reveal that back in my school days I went to school with a boy named Aaron Black. He was always on the periphery of my own group of friends, but we never properly ran in the same circles. Some years later he’s in a band, and that band is the rapidly accelerating R51. Of course when I heard this it caught my interest, and as they’re releasing their debut EP this Wednesday I thought it would only be right I give it a wee listen!
After winning the Oh Yeah Centre’s ‘Scratch My Progress’ competition, Belfast quartet R51 simply haven’t stopped. Their debut EP Pillowtalk is a surprisingly highly polished taster of what female-fronted R51 are all about. Describing their sound as “Shoe-gaze inspired brooding pop music with an alternative rock riff tinge” we have to say we can’t argue with that definition at all.
To cut a long story short, Pillowtalk is progressive, enchanting and utterly refreshing. Each track has its own distinct personality, whilst still retaining a cohesive overall sound.
From the haunting vocals and sizzling cymbals of Absolutely Nothing to the violence and overwhelming noise of the metal inspired I Hate That Too, it’s clear to hear this isn’t another generic pop record.
https://soundcloud.com/r51broadcast/absolutely-nothing-1
The eponymous Pillowtalk takes us back to the band’s shoe-gaze roots and Melyssa Shannon’s voice shimmers through this otherworldly track perfectly, whilst Modern Age rocks things up a bit to show off the bands musical talents to their full extent.In keeping with the amazing cover art, final track Seaweed evokes spellbinding images of mermaids, sparkling coastlines and just the faintest hint of danger.
This is just a hint of what this band can do and we’re looking forward to see where they end up. Keep your ears open, this is only the start of the journey for this exceptionally talented band.
