Colourmeinkindness
Colourmeinkindness puts Basement's melodic instincts inside a heavier, slower-moving sound. The guitars carry plenty of grit, but the songs rarely depend on speed alone. There is a clear love of 1990s alternative rock here, along with enough direct emotion to stop the familiar ingredients feeling like an exercise in recreating another era.
Whole makes a convincing opening statement. The guitars are rough, the drums push hard, and the hook is easy to find beneath the noise. Spoiled offers a similarly effective balance of energy and melody. These songs make the band's move towards grunge feel natural, retaining a sense of urgency even when the riffs grow broader.
Covet takes a more measured approach. Its low, distorted guitar figure moves at an unhurried pace, with Andrew Fisher's restrained delivery making the chorus feel heavier when it arrives. The song does a lot with a simple arrangement. It gives the record a recognisable centre without needing a particularly complicated structure.
The quieter material is important too. Breathe leaves more room around a softer vocal, allowing the melody to become the main attraction. It is one of the clearest signs that Basement can hold attention without covering everything in distortion. That contrast gives the louder songs more purpose, making the album feel broader than its guitar sound first suggests.
Not every patient passage earns its length. Control spends a long time building tension before its faster closing section, and the wait is less rewarding than the eventual release. Bad Apple has a firm rhythmic backbone, but its repeated ideas are less memorable than the strongest songs around it. These moments expose the limits of a familiar sound when the writing lacks a strong enough hook.
Wish gives the album a more satisfying long finish. Its changes in volume, strong drumming and broad guitar melody bring some ambition to the closing stretch. Colourmeinkindness is an engaging record with a few slow patches rather than a complete reinvention of guitar music. Its best melodies, rough edges and changes in intensity give it a personality that reaches beyond its obvious influences.
