The Neverlutionaries in a nutshell is the more accessible aspects of Alice In Chains’ brand of Grunge, the Funk-driven Rawk of Living Colour with hints of Chuck Moseley and Reverend & The Makers in the vocal department making for the most wonderful musical melting pot on their self-titled debut.
Christopher Harold Wells’ layered vox start “Ticking Away” and the album off strong, backed by a wall of sound that moves, grooves, and immediately catapults The Neverlutionaries to a whole new realm of Rawk. Seeking to explore diverse sounds from its’ onset, The Neverlutionaries turns a corner with the spacey ballad “Ariana” following next to keep things interesting and listeners thoroughly invested.
“Hopped Up On Crazy” is the greatest modern Alice In Chains jam never recorded by Alice In Chains while “As It Burns…” is a glowing, glistening comfort blanket filled with all the warm, fuzzy feelings with the way that Wells’ voice mixes with the sounds created building toward this swarming swirl of shrieking guitar solos, precision percussive fills, and booming bass sounds.
“Everybody’s Losing Their Minds” is a huge funkified party propelled along by the shuffling bravado of drummer Chris McGrew and “Precious Eyes” practically hums with the way the guitars by Wells and Jonnie Axtwell merge. “Save Yourself” almost sounds like classic Rage Against The Machine and later, “Stardusted” flips the script once again with Wells welcoming some vocal assistance to add a contrast and creating this texture that’s akin to Duran Duran’s monumental 1993 comeback record.
Ryan Hickey’s isolated keys are just as much the star during closer “Stumble” as Wells’ croon is, soaring to new vocal heights to hit this fantastical falsetto before fading out. And as a bonus, “Ellis Street Stomp” is a Elvis Costello-sounding jazzy number that fades in as a reminder of the spectacular sonic diversity The Neverlutionaries continually bring to the table.
The Neverlutionaries drops via Polychromatic Records on February 12th and you can head here or here to get your fix when it arrives. For more on The Neverlutionaries, follow the trail of social media pages by clicking here, here, or here.