by Caitlin Baldridge
The fact that Nai Harvest reminds me of my favorite band Brand New with their emo lyrics and grungy, straight to the point power chords bodes quite well. All the classic elements of an emo/punk rock band are there; the lazy, drowning vocals, pounding drums and guitar, and sadistic lyrics. I would guess that grunge-heads and fans of 90’s rock will go nuts for these British rockers.
When describing his band’s new EP, vocalist/guitarist Ben Thompson says, “this isn’t an emo record…this is a day to day poetry recorded with harmonies and drum fills.” Some examples of Nai Harvest’s poetry: “everything I love is dead / kill my heart, kill my head” and “I don’t wanna be there if I can’t make fun of you”. Entertaining to say the least, and the instrumentation accompanying resembles Smashing Pumpkins with the sliding electric guitar riffs, setting them apart a bit from other generic college rock bands.
Formed in Sheffield, South Yorkshire UK, Ben Thompson and Lew Currie (drummer) started releasing music back in 2011. Just a few years later and now they’ve landed a US record deal with Topshelf records – a well-known record label in punk and alternative rock. While Hold Open My Head isn’t the most exhilarating piece of music, it shows promise for the boys’ future and it delivers some classic elements of rock that make the genre the masterpiece that it is.
Rating: 7.5/10
