Bellhop – Alone (2022)
From the depths of lockdown, Bellhop bring forth a clarion call to everything facing vulnerability and uncertainty. ‘Alone’ is a single that speaks to a generation that feels a strange sense of loneliness and disconnection from each other. Drawing on these emotions, the movement of the single brings a wave of fury at the world, tempered by a tender vulnerability tinged with forlorn feelings.
As the single touches on the emotions of a generation, the fuzzy guitars, heavy drums and inspired riffs come from the brains of sibling duo Harry and Bella Watson. Together, they give a nod to local band Enola while filling the single with their intense sound. Bringing elements of different sub-genres of rock together with a splash of metal, they will have you rocking out while feeling the emotions of the track in your bones.
The dark and almost ominous thrumming tone that opens ‘Alone’ really grabs your attention. It is like this solitary thrum reaches into your chest and starts to squeeze your heart, packing tension into your ribcage. The dark tones grow as the drums enter with a heavy hit that draws you down into their shadowy world. The movement of the music is wonderful as it perfectly mimics the feeling of being constrained and feeling like the walls are closing in on you. The interplay between the, at times, fuzzy guitars and the slap of the drums is wonderful in its ability to build tension. The pressure the melody puts on your bones comes to a head later in the track with a burst of frustration that is echoed by the vocals. The more melodic movement of the guitars in the latter parts of the single is fantastic as they take the emotional ride of the single to another level.
Against the thrummed guitar, Harry Watson’s vocals creep up your spine, leaving a trail of cold in their wake. He reaches out with icy fingers while unleashing his negative emotions and a plea for help. As the guitars and drums build, his vocals get this punch to them as they stab at you with the negative emotions. It is a wonderfully intense performance that brings a touch of nihilism to the single, swirling it with a splash of psychedelia and anger. The anger and frustration grow as the single progresses, leading you through rock tones to a scream of metal. Through all of this, the initial darkness brought by the instrumentation remains, but seems to form into a tangible ball of anger.
Bellhop bring vulnerability, loneliness, anger, frustration and nihilism to the best elements of rock and metal in the addictive ‘Alone’. The melody slowly builds through the darkness of the track, to burst with frustration through the metal vocals. Harry Watson’s vocal performance is amazing as he touches on vulnerable feelings that turn into frustration and anger.
Find out more about Bellhop on their Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
