Photo credit : Annie Feng
Manchester Rock/Grunge/Alternative band Manalishi have released their new EP ‘Why Do They Talk To Me’. Manalishi are a guttural plethora of raw energy and attitude. Consisting of lead vocalist/guitarist Dom Strett, bassist Josh Urpi, and drummer Charlie Gough; they concentrate on their music leaving your ears ringing, and a persistent scratchy feeling in the back of your throat.
The self titled EP is a bloodthirsty collection of grunge soaked alternative rock designed to pummel your brain and get those mosh pits in a frenzy. The band accumulate a refined blend of noisy fuzz and groovy sounds to create a wholly immersing fierce wall of sound. With an onslaught of battering drums and gritty, scuzzy guitars crashing and shattering against one another it’s an intense collection of tracks. ‘Why Do They Talk To Me?’ and ‘Brain In A Jar’ display this perfectly as the squealing guitars and raw, splintering backdrop revolt over raspy vocals and a catchy attitude driven melody. The tracks travel at neck breaking speeds that evoke images of hair flailing headbanging while Manalishi chill the frenzy with a moody melody. ‘Punge’ lightens the heaviness of the EP with jagged light guitar jangles between punchy drum whacks. There is a Nirvana vibe about the track as the expressive vocals expel and hiss over the fiery backdrop while wallowing in the sweetened sulky melody. These guys showcase their ballsy sound with an edgy refinement and closing track ‘Not Here…Not There…’ is a fine example of this. Slowly building the track, Manalishi mope and brood over the glum murky verses before bursting into an all out fragmenting heavy chorus. Mighty drum thuds and grumbly destructive guitars make the hair-raising foundation for this explosive track. The doleful verses contrast magnificently with the bruising chorus and make for an exhilarating listen.
This debut EP is a dynamic mix of sizzling power chords, manic energy and sonic restraint. Manalishi erect sturdy melodic structures and sing-along hard rock over a grunge foundation. They then attack their structure with frenzied screaming and guitar havoc. When Strett revs into high punk gear, shifting his versatile voice from quiet caress to raw-throated fury, the decisive control of the guitars and drums is all that keeps the songs from tipping over that thin line to utter chaos. Pretty impressive.
Stream the EP below
