MuddiBrooke – Lunacy

By RingMaster Review on November 11, 2021 • ( 0 )

Thanks to Emma Scott at Pluggin’ Baby we have found a rather keen appetite for our emotive encounters with UK trio MuddiBrooke courtesy of the singles our friend introduced us to. Each has been a powerful exploration into emotional strife and reflection within an equally powerful sound and fair to say together they ensured the release of the band’s debut EP would not pass us by.

Containing some of those already keenly devoured encounters and new propositions for us to chew upon, the Lunacy EP is a cauldron of inner turmoil whether observed or felt surrounded by the band’s equally dramatic and powerful sound. It is alternative rock bred but equally only feeds that tag in certain aspects, the Derby hailing threesome of vocalist/guitarist Brooke (Harriet McDonnell), bassist Anna Melidone, and drummer Mary Prince drawing on flavours such as hard and classic rock, grunge and punk to create their angst fuelled proposals. As the EP proves, it all makes for eventful and tempestuous encounters which demand attention, provoke thoughts and command regular returns.

Just re-released as a single, Devil kicks the release off, its emotionally intense character and touch instantly stroking the senses as Brooke bares her tormented soul. From that controlled start crescendos of sound and emotion erupt, a blaze of anger and defiance echoed in the band’s rock burnt sound. With each cycle tension seems to escalate as too the power in those eruptions, all the while the song’s blemished and undiluted uproar of emotive fervour, sonic drama, and lyrical reflection imposingly contagious.

The following Liverpool Guy also holds a tension and attitude that unites with feral riffs and swinging rhythms to create an inviting yet imposing proposal. It too has fire in its belly which erupts with raucous clamour within another invasively contagious affair with Melidone’s backing tones a potent alignment to Brooke’s lead. A storm of impassioned and rousing rock ‘n’ roll, the song simply matched its predecessor in greedily hitting the spot.

Firmly taking favourite track honours Straight Jacket immediately prowls ears, riffs and rhythms almost stalking their victim before sweeping them up in a raucous uproar of sound and temptation. The track is pure provocation and temptation, an imposing and bruising encounter which seduced with every tempestuous move and volatile release of its feral sound and emotional turbulence.

Next up Turn To Dust makes a calm entrance yet it too carries shadows and anxiety which only escalate as the song’s infectious inclinations rise. That opening balladry subsequently finds its heart-rending roar, the track evolving into a tempest of earnest thought and voracious sound before Fake It brings the release to a fine close. This is another song which almost stalks the listener with its opening moves yet is only inescapable temptation which only intensifies as its prickly emotions and hearty discontent escalates.

It is a superb end to another striking union with MuddiBrooke, Lunacy revelling in all the reasons why the band has drawn such eager plaudits so far and provoking fresh greed in our appetite for their evolving songwriting and sound; both already proving thickly powerful and gripping.

The Lunacy EP is out now; available @ https://muddibrooke.bandcamp.com/album/lunacy-ep