Berries: How We Function

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This excellent album is melodic, loud, fast, punky and just the right length. Musically the sound is somewhere between the better end of early punk / indie and early Foals, when math rock was still a thing.

There are some nice heavy rock riffs in places, maybe not Black Sabbath but certainly a dark edge. (We’d written that before we visited the website and spotted that they say of themselves: “Berries blend all the best bits of grunge and math rock and coat it in catchy melodies.”

We Are Machines opens and the solid bass and tight guitar reminded us of Tube Station at Midnight era Jam, the song ending with some nice feedback. They’re all female and Holly on vocals adds a countering melody and calmness to the riffage, and pounding from Lauren (bass) and Lucie (drums); Holly also plays guitar.

Songs like Basic Tables are more math rock in sound (math rock being Foals’ first album, otherwise irregular stopping and starting, odd time signatures, angular chords, all very precise and tight). There’s a really nice section midway through Basic Tables, a short bass solo then some choppy guitar. (Grow also showcases the bass). The Expert resembles Biffy in sound, particularly a section where they slow down and turn up the guitar.

Siren has a slightly different feel, perhaps cashing in on the recent craze for sea shanties with its underlying folky rhythm (though it’s nothing but rock) while the following Grow is tight and fast.

An enjoyable and interesting album. Go here