Chase The River – We Were Giants (2020)
Chase the River is a Belfast-based band that started off as an acoustic act. Stuart Lunn (vocals, guitar, keys) started the band and it has gone through different musicians over the years. The current three-piece includes Adam Bell (bass) and Keith Conway (drums) forming the defacto band. Together they are releasing their first self-produced EP We Were Giants on 6 July.
The EP is a release of firsts being the first self-produced by Lunn and their first release in almost two years. While the band had 5 songs ready to drop, everything on the album is new. The idea was to create a release that was completely them without any other influences in the process.
‘Just a Show’ is the first track on the EP and hooks you with a great opening. Lunn’s vocals are easy to listen to and perfectly match the pace of the track. The melody of the song is steady, but the vocals drive you forward with fast sections. This song is a mixture of emotions where you hang onto someone from the past while feeling lost and without a sense of belonging.
‘Magic In A World Of Infinite Sadness’ has an engaging guitar opening that sets the mood of the track. The vocals hook you and draw you into the lyrics. This song is all about looking for hope in a world that is increasingly crazy.
‘Saying Goodbye’ gives you a hint of what it is all about with the title. The track thinks back on lost relationships, but instead of being melancholy, it provides hope for moving past them and toward a brighter future. There is a lighter melody to this track that highlights this message. The way this song approaches the subject makes it easy to listen to and very catchy.
‘These Last Moments’ is a sadder song that opens with a melancholy melody. The vocals also have a sense of despair to them that echoes the lyrics. The song makes you think about past relationships and how the final moments affect how everything is remembered. While this is a heavy topic, the execution of the emotions is artful and beautiful.
The last track on the EP is ‘Brother’ and it is a completely different kettle of fish. It is an acoustic track that differs from the rest of the album and is very emotional. You can hear the pain in the vocals. This song was written after the loss of Lunn’s good friend Aran Glover and is a tribute that cuts through you.
Chase The River tugs at your emotions with We Were Giants, an EP full of firsts, sadness and retrospection. While the songs are different from their previous releases, they hold all the emotive power the band is great at. Each looks at a different aspect of emotions with ‘Brother’ being the perfect emotive ending.
Find out more about Chase The River on their website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
