REVIEW: Samantha – ‘Hourglass Noise’

Right from the get-go, Samantha lets you know that they are a thrash-punk band. “K-Town” kicks Hourglass Noise off with noisy, in-your-face power, and harmonies that aren’t exactly perfect, but balanced out by well-crafted instrumental hooks. “Push” appears to have more instrumentality brought into it, including the heavy bass that will quickly become a constant on the album, including a great guitar solo with an undeniable punch to it.

The band knows the power of a fade-out, and that’s apparent.

“Slaughter” is aggressive to a degree, just as the title would suggest, but in a more entrancing way. This is more metaphorical, as far as lyrics go. The vocals aren’t exactly incredible as far as technicality goes, but they stand out; they’re different, and would be easy to place, which is what matters most in punk music. Short and to the point, “Haywire,” with its 90’s punk sound that we’ve seen in all mid-late 90’s films, solidifies the feeling that Samantha is more instrumentally talented than they seem to let on initially; more clever, well-developed instrumentals. This is easy to imagine going over well live in a venue with a bunch of teenagers wearing too much eyeliner and donning hair colors only found inside a Crayola-box (believe me, we’ve all been there), as does “Mouse,” which showcases the grit of the band beautifully. With the exception of “FM,” which does consist of great instrumentals and a catchy melody, but vocals that sound very strained, Hourglass Noise seems to improve as it progresses. “Fight” is the track that makes that very clear. It is high energy, almost a musical interpretation of the adrenaline of a literal fight. The vocals contrast that perfectly; showcases Samantha’s true potential with EPIC instrumentals, classic punk-rock vocal styles, and comes across as more confident. It is, hands down, the best song on the album. If the rest of the album flowed as well as this, it would solidify it as a fantastic sampling of this band’s talent.

Samantha finishes off the album with “Inferno.” There is a definite improvement from the beginning of the album to the end, in all aspects. This is a clever ending, both musically and lyrically. It’s an interesting listen that wraps up the overall feeling of the album quite well, sounding like a mashup in some places, with brings forth the meaning of “hourglass noise.”

The band proved to be consistent with energetic, powerful instrumentals, gritty vocals, and experimentation. It’s always interesting to hear a band experiment with their sound, and progress. Hourglass Noise  peels back layer after layer, coming across a bit like a mystery: the more pages you turn, the more clues you’ll find.

Hourglass Noise is set for release this April.

For more on Samantha, click HERE.