Phonotonal
Chin Music

Chin Music
Demo EP

Chin Music are a four piece band with claims on a rock/hardcore sound and an EP presented as Exhibit A.

First impressions come from the melodic ‘Overboard’, which has vocals that compare to Papa Roach front man Coby Dick. The lead guitar lets the intro down, not because of what is played, but because of the slightly limp sound. A big chorus is supplied courtesy of a hooky vocal line and great guitars and the track leaves you with a lingering urge to hit the repeat button.

Second track, ‘Chinese Burns’, is full of rhythmic guitar strumming and takes a new direction with a more straightforward rock feel with a few nods to classic punk with punchy overdriven riffery.

This trend is continued in ‘Mantra’, albeit at a slightly faster pace. There are even moments of Dexy’s Midnight Runners in the vocal, which you don’t get to say very often. A rather neat breakdown at the two minute thirty mark reinforces the belief that has been forming throughout this record that this isn’t really rock/hardcore, more of a modern take on the British punk rock of bands such as The Clash and Dexy’s.

The final track is more akin to the opener but with a more emotional feel and prominent backing vocals. The tempo and volume is upped for the latter parts of the song giving a lift to an otherwise downbeat track.

With only half a dozen gigs behind them, Chin Music have got proof not only of their quality, but also of the variety to be expected from their songs. If they keep mixing their rock sound with their punk rock guitar style they could be on to something.

Written by Smith on

Stuart 'Saur' Smith was a prolific writer for The Mag throughout the magazine's lifetime. He combined a day job of temporary office jobs in London with a nightlife of trawling the capital's music venues looking for talent. As well as writing about music, he was a session musician who featured on a number of singles in the 90s. Today, Stuart is a Chief Writer for Phonotonal.
Stuart Smith

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