Haze

BERRIES

Single Review

Self doubt is something that unfortunately comes natural to most people who have the capacity to think. However to members of the creative arts it comes as naturally as breathing but with none of its upsides. For every song you hear or piece of work you scrutinise it has probably gone through several incarnations, a handful of sleepless nights, and even once it is out there is still being judged by its creator. Sadly, it is the one thing that can make great art but can also hinder in equal measure. So when penning their debut album ‘How We Function’, Alt-Rock trio BERRIES took on the challenge of putting these feelings into sonic form.

‘Haze’ for me does several things really well. Firstly it continues to showcase the bands comfort and mastery of their solid sound. Combining a steady, punchy rhythm with a sharp and yet fluid guitar the band channel their Grunge influence and melt over it their own personality. Each note is timed with precision and executed with ease. It’s almost like with each snap of the snare the song is being driven further into your consciousness, making sure it stays nailed down even once the track is over. This characteristic of BERRIES sound is the bedrock upon which they can build their music off in any direction. Plus with another tasty and infectious riff anchoring the track the whole thing feels alive.

Secondly, what this song does is take its theme of self doubt, intrusive thoughts, and the basic chaos of the brain and transposes it to the composition of the song. Don’t get me wrong, the track has a clear structure, but is also rich in some great production choices that help certain sections pop out at you. The pre-chrous for example. The repetitive way that the final line is looped combined with the song growing in volume beneath it really paints the picture of a breaking point. This to me mirrors that moment during a thought pattern when your brain becomes overloaded with thoughts and you get that realisation of, ‘I’ve just got to do it’. All through the song little moments like this occur that fro me at least highlight the depth of the trio’s songwriting ability.

Lyrically the song deals with snatches of coherent sentences, much like the brief flashes of thoughts that you can have when pondering anything. They even mirror the feeling of incomplete thoughts being pushed along by new thoughts before you’ve had a chance to fully realise what was on your mind. However, amidst all this they do their best to show that even though this kind of self imposed over thinking can seem daunting, you can sometimes be better off for it. “….without the haze and the hunger…” a simple line that reaches out to me as if to say ‘as long as you want it, you can push through it, and be better for it’.

Overall, ‘Haze’ is another sneak peek into what is sounding like an outstanding debut album. It captures so much in a brief moment and elevates my hopes for BERRIES music moving forwards. There is a subtlety in their music that packs one hell of a punch. I look forward to enjoying the rest of album once it drops in July.

*You can pre-order their debut album and grab tickets to their UK headline tour via the link below.

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