Monday 1 August 2016

Album Review: Breathe Deeply by Taco Hell


Taco Hell are a four piece pop punk and emo band from Nottingham. The band, who only formed in January and released their debut EP in May. Titled Breathe Deeply, the release was recorded, mixed and mastered by Phil Booth at JT Soar which is an ex-fruit and vegetable warehouse transformed into a DIY music and arts centre.


The EP begins with the song Joe Shocks The Band. Musically it's a fast paced pop punk song with a hint of the indie sound that a lot of bands are incorporating. I really enjoyed the duelling guitars in the intro. The song is about over-thinking about asking a question and being worried about the outcome. I also really liked the combination of Joe Booker's lead vocals along with Eleanor Parkinson's harmony. This adds a fantastic extra layer to the track. Up next is a song named High 2.2. The use of jangly guitar is great on this track, really working well with Joe's vocal. It's instantly catchy and will have you humming along quickly. If the mainstream indie rock bands were writing songs like this the pop charts would be a much better place. Bendy is a track that falls more on the emo side of the Taco Hell sound. There is a very minimalist sound to the song, with just a soft gentle vocal accompanied by and a quiet yet fantastic guitar hook. The whole mood of the song is a lot more sombre than the previous too efforts. Anyone who saw the name Taco Hell and thought they'd be listening to a bright, amusing EP would have thought wrongly. There was something about the beginning of the fourth song, Audrey that reminded me of the Muncie Girls. That's never a bad thing. I quite enjoyed the changes in tempo and style throughout the song. The verses being a slower affair but the choruses being a lot more upbeat and chipper. The song is about being stuck in a job you dislike (we've all been there!) and wanting nothing but to leave. The fifth and final track on Breathe Deeply is the title track - Breathe Deeply. It's a six minute epic that really focuses on Taco Hell's musical skill. The lyrics "All I Know Is That I Don't Want To Go, Breathe Deeply With Me" are the only lines sung on the track but they have such an impact. Muscially the whole song does a wonderful job building and adding a big feeling of suspense and emotion throughout. This could be one of my favourite songs of the year and is a great way to end the EP.

Stream and download Breathe Deeply here: https://tacohellband.bandcamp.com/

Like Taco Hell here: https://www.facebook.com/tacohellband/

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