By Phil Cooper
This five-piece from the north east of England have been gaining attention for themselves since their formation in 2017. Comprised of members of other projects, Northshore set about making a name for themselves with their debut EP ‘Alternative Futures’. Extensive UK touring followed the release and support slots with numerous other acts helped the band gain traction amongst live audiences. Their next release was single ‘Father’ featuring accompanying video. The video earned Northshore more online follows and the buzz around them led to further touring with the likes of Mallory Knox as well as solo shows. Now 2019 sees another EP release in the form of six track ‘For What It’s Worth’, with the band now looking to sharpen their sound, what can the listener expect?
Opening track ‘Be Heard’ comes in with clean guitar arpeggios delivered in a catchy indie groove before the full band sound kicks in with the drums leading a more aggressive edge to the sound. It’s a slick production with the mix well balanced and each instrument given plenty of room. The layering of the vocals gives a rich harmony and thickens the texture. ‘Be Heard’ offers a very catchy introduction to the EP and moves well into ‘Dependence’. With a lead melody line provided by the guitars and attacking drums ‘Dependence’ moves things along at a rapid pace. Chopped chords back up the vocals and give an extra hook to the initial melody lines that feature throughout the track. The staccato breakdown leads into a rich vocal harmony giving further sonic interest to ‘Dependence’.
Featuring additional vocals from Christina Rotondo ‘Shedding Skin’ changes up the tempo thus far. With the guitars providing big reverb washed open chords the verse sections are given a sense of wide, reflective space. The rhythm section has backed off from the opening two tracks and provides a solid framework upon which the guitars take the melody lead. The interplay between the two vocals in the latter part of the track adds further harmonic texture, lifting the vocal lines in the remaining verse and chorus sections to an extra level. Current single release and title track, ‘For What It’s Worth’, is possibly the catchiest number on the EP. Rapid chopped guitar chords and an up-tempo rhythm section drives the song forward. The vocals feature a call and response style in the verse sections before the key change in the chorus sees the vocal range increase and provide an extra uplift to the music. It’s easy to see why this track has been chosen as the single release as it sees the band working solidly together and definitely honing in on their pop-rock style.
‘Summer’ features a well-placed use of delay on the introduction guitar lines accompanying the vocals. When the full band kicks in and the song moves to the chorus section there is a shift to more distorted guitars and heavier chords. The changing dynamics keeps the song moving forward as each section sees more textured laying and a heavier sound recurring for the latter chorus sections. The guitars delay effect continues throughout underpinning the melody before providing the main breakdown. Final track ‘Conspiracy’ is a high tempo closer. The vocals fully take charge of the track with the instrumentation backing off during the verse sections and the layered vocal harmonies providing the rhythmic pace as well as melody. It also features one of the most prominent guitar solos of the whole release. Well crafted and executed, it doesn’t take anything away from the pop-rock nature of the track but successfully delivers the dynamic shift to take the track up a notch for the outro which is ultimately delivered by the vocals calling out the last of the lyrics without the instrumentation.
Throughout all of the EP, Northshore successfully deliver their brand of pop-rock infusion with clear intent. The musicianship and construction of the songs follow a pop like formula with clear verse/chorus structure and the instrumentation techniques follow genre standards. However, the edge that they have comes in the actual delivery of the music and the lyrical content. The guitars often have a distorted edge giving extra attack to the chopped chords and lead melody lines. The rhythm section is a powerful presence that drives all of the music forward and the vocals have a raspy tonality so that the louder sections punch through with more emotion than a simple clean-cut vocal would. With regards to the lyrical content, even though the music might have a pop style, the lyrics don’t follow this convention. There’s a darker side to Northshore as they touch upon ideas beyond simple boy meets girl pop emotions. ‘Be Heard’ in particular is very much a rally cry for anyone struggling with any issues relating to mental health. No matter what, there is someone you can talk to and you’ll be heard. Mental health as a whole is a recurring theme throughout the six tracks on offer as well as a mature approach to relationship breakdowns as heard in ‘For What It’s Worth’.
Ultimately, this EP is a collection of very catchy tracks with a well-executed pop-rock vibe. Clearly the band know how to deliver their music as well as produce it. In addition, they are able to lyrically offer subject matter that is ultimately important and not just churn out throw away words to bolt on to the music. It’ll be interesting to see how they progress.
- ‘For What It’s Worth’ is released tomorrow (Friday 15 February). You can get your copy HERE.
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