Label: Cool Things Records
Southend four-piece Asylums are back again with album number four, ‘Signs of Life’. The energy is palpable from the moment opening track ‘Scatterbrain’ crashes in which is due in part to ‘Signs of Life’ being recorded live. With quirkiness and heavy riffs in equal measure, Asylums rattle through ‘Scatterbrain’ with reckless abandon.
From the moment ‘Understand The Psychology’ kicks in, you can sense the potency of this alt-pop anthem. With Asylums’ knack for a huge, singable chorus, ‘Understand The Psychology’ is no exception as this power pop leviathan bores its way into your head. It’s not all pedal to the floor though. Songs like ‘Instant Coffee’ and ‘Erase the Edges’ show that their knack for writing incredible choruses and hooks extends to slow burners as well as explosive tracks.
‘Erase the Edges’ is needed as a cool down once ‘Crypto Klepto’ is done with you. With a riff that jitters around the fretboard and drums that never sound less than manic, ‘Crypro Klepto’ is Asylums flexing their crazy muscle and flexing it well.
Whether it’s ballad, power pop or the aforementioned full bore manic, Asylums lace their own brand of weird throughout with whirring, UFO-like guitar notes floating throughout and riffs that never sit still. One thing is clear though, Asylums know how to write a monsterous chorus and give you every piece of themselves in a record. Though ‘Signs of Life’ is their fourth record, Asylums sound as fresh and energetic as day one.
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