Relate. – Chemical Condition (2023)
On their Instagram page, US-based band Relate. note that “some dude on the internet said: Relate. is a horrible name for a band”. I don’t mean to argue with anyone, but I believe it’s a stellar name for a band. With the aim to resonate with audiences and share life experiences, it makes total sense for the band to be Relate. (with a period). Originally the stage name for singer-songwriter Duncan Slack several years ago, Relate. evolved into a talented quartet including Zachary Fitzgerald (guitar), Thomas Dalton (bass) and Diego Valenzuela (drums). Since 2021, the lads are turning heads across the globe with their critically acclaimed releases and unforgettable performances.
Inspired by human life in its entirety, Relate. tends to release music with personal attachment exploring reality as it is. Following their single ‘Levitation’, the lads release a five-track EP navigating the universal human experience of change through the uncertainty of interpersonal and intrapersonal challenges. When speaking about Chemical Condition, frontman Duncan Slack explains the “…writing process for Chemical Condition lasted through late spring of 2020 to the tail-end of 2021. During this time span, I had gone through the beginning and end of a relationship and about six different jobs. I was struggling to find my place in the world…the track list for the EP is chronologically arranged in the order the songs were written and lyrically details my personal experience in finding self-worth and purpose through embracing the fact that the only permanent condition of life is that change is unavoidable.”
Drawing on the angst and desperation of pop-punk, emo rock and alternative rock, Chemical Condition is a loud, bold, hard-hitting package of emotions. The combination of pounding drums harmonically blends with dynamic guitars and Slack’s gruff vocals. Tossing you into a frenzied pool of chaos, you find yourself shoved from pillar to post with the songs. Interestingly enough, while a madness seems to exist in Chemical Condition, you are cradled by a warm lull woven into the insanity. For instance, the final track ‘Levitation’ has a softer side than the opening ‘Olive’ highlighting not only Relate.’s innovativeness as artists but their versatility, depth and natural talent.
While I mention there is a bit of a soothing underbelly to the tracks, the group retains their harsh, brash and reckless sound from ‘Olive’ to ‘Levitation’. Just as the instrumentation has a heaviness, to me it is Slack’s vocals that truly encapsulate the desperation of these uncertain experiences. Heart-breaking and breath-taking, Slack reaches into your soul with each syllable leaving you completely worn out by the end of Chemical Condition.
For more from Relate. check out their official website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
