Track Review: Bullets // Chasing Shadows
I have recently become rather obsessed with singer Steve Balsamo, so when I discovered he is from Wales I wasn’t all that surprised. A beautiful man with a beautiful voice must come from the Land of Song – I mean, all of the Welsh can sing, can’t they? Now that I’ve come across the Welsh foursome Chasing Shadows, I’m 100% sure this nation has the best musicians. Considering the critical acclaim from Edgar Allen Poets, Indie Central Music, New Music Connection, Sounds Good Blog and The Other Side Reviews, I’m sure the rest of the world thinks the same. The latest addition to their repertoire is ‘Bullets’.
Following their four-track EP Runaway, Chasing Shadows continue to showcase their versatility and innovativeness as artists. While the lads have a strong indie-rock sound illustrated in Runaway, ‘Bullets’ is a honing of this sound resulting in a sophisticated and polished sound. The UK indie-rock scene is being dominated by bands reminiscent of Oasis, Radiohead and Coldplay; however, Chasing Shadows show they are not to be pigeon-holed in their music. ‘Bullets’ is merely another example of their refreshing presence in a saturated UK indie scene.
A powerful track, ‘Bullets’ is a hard-hitting combination of dynamic guitars, pounding drums and gruff vocals courtesy of lead singer Sam Roberts. An upbeat track, but in the rock-inspired sense of the word, ‘Bullets’ has a forcefulness that drives itself into your brain, reverberates down your spine and sends shivers through your body. Now, this may be due to the instrumentation or the gritty vocals but all I know is you are left breathless after listening to ‘Bullets’ (even if you don’t have it on repeat).
Filled with raw energy, ‘Bullets’ is a true representation of the strength behind Chasing Shadows. I can immediately imagine them performing to an audience pumping their fists in the air and singing along to each line; think Queens of the Stone Age and you’ll have an idea of what I’m talking about. The thing is, while the kaleidoscopic melody has an impact on you it is the lyrical content that showcases the lads’ depth.
Touching on elements of resilience, self-worth, empowerment and inner determination, ‘Bullets’ is a tale about Sam’s battle with health issues and how it made him a stronger individual. Difficult experiences can break people, but Chasing Shadows show how learning from the experiences is far more beneficial than succumbing to them. The grittiness of the concept is elegantly executed by Sam’s gruff vocals making ‘Bullets’ a highly sentimental and insightful single. Personally, I adore the band and their music so they will be going on my personal playlist for as long as possible.