Decortica - A New Aesthetic
They're certainly not just 'another Auckland three piece' and members - Antoinette Lee, Mathew and Daniel Bosher are out to prove it with their debut album titled A New Aesthetic. These modern day rockers are all about breaking the boundaries and bringing something original to the table while keeping the audience intrigued and ready for more action.
It can't be an easy mission, being that there are a bunch of rock bands coming out of the big smoke, but they're doing it, and from what I hear, they're doing it damn well. Currently the group is working on a line of successful gigs whilst writing new tunes for yet another album - which will hopefully be recorded by the master behind this one David Holmes.
He's worked with the likes of Gramsci and Jakob so this was most likely an easy choice for the band, who ended up recording the tracks in Raglan. Together they've created works so clean and sophisticated that it's difficult to remember that this is Decortica's first and only release to date. It's tight and punchy, which is obviously the reason they've stolen the rock scene this year.
First tracks on this album, Macchina and Featherlight are hard and heavy with hints of US superstars, Soundgarden while front man, Matthew Bosher shows off his incredibly powerful vocals. It sounds to me like someone has taken some major influence from Incubus' Brandon Boyd - which for some can be a complete disaster, but is something that Bosher has easily mastered.
Peace May Come featured on various music channels around the country like C4, Juice and ALT TV making this song a memorable one on the album that really showcases the bands diversity. It's ultra fresh and gives a good first impression of what they have to offer as a hard rock act. In saying that, it's not all rock n' roll and the fifth song on this album - L is proof.
Being that it's a Sunday morning as I sit and write this review, I can say in all honesty that I'm most impressed with this track. It's a slow acoustic and an easy-listen for a head that's still a little cloudy from the night before. Mente is an instrumental of similar taste so obviously today this is also a winner in my books. Think System Of A Down on a quiet day and you've got it in one.
Two heavier tracks that the band is known for follow - The Grid and Duality which boast that rawness that most can only dream of. The entire album has that feel, which the band agrees comes from the environment of the town in which they recorded. "Climate changes, serenity quickly turning into a violent, wild weather system." - A statement that pretty much sums up the whole disc.
Amanda Ratcliffe
