Saturday 17 October 2015

Album Review: Medicine/Bernadette by Empty Lungs




Empty Lungs are a four-piece punk band from Belfast, Northern Ireland. Since playing their first gig together in 2011 they have gone on to share the stage with such acts as Alkaline Trio, Bangers, Dead To Me, Cheap Girls and The Flatliners and they were the first Irish band to play The Fest when they played in 2014. Recently they released a new double A-side called Medicine/Bernadette. 

Medicine begins with some tender guitar work before some pounding drums and crunching guitars wake things up a bit. Lead singer Kev's vocals are full of emotion and are much stronger than most punk vocalists. This chap can really sing! This is a track I can imagine getting a great reaction live, the verses are full of moments to sing-along with and when the music is turned up there are some fantastic headbanging moments. Everyone loves to headbang! Bernadette has more of an indie rock feel to it rather than punk. The whole song feels softer than the first and is easily something I can imagine being high in the indie rock charts. The song structure is simple and often goes back to the lyrics "Living Life In A Doorway Must Get Kinda Lonely”, which makes the song really accessible from the first time you hear it. Midway through the song there is a great instrumental before the song finishes with a big flourish. 

This double a-side really showcases Empty Lungs sound. Brilliantly jumping between melodic punk music and indie rock, it shows them to be a band with a lot of promise and unlimited potential.

Stream and buy Medicine/Bernadette here: https://emptylungs.bandcamp.com/ 

Like Empty Lungs here: https://www.facebook.com/emptylungsni

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