World’s & – Vice (2021)
World’s & brings you a sound straight from the heart with their EP Vice. Taking you on a whirlwind of emotions, the band travels through hope, fear, love and hurt. While taking listeners through these emotions, the tracks of the EP were chosen at random from a group of ten songs the band was looking to record. Regardless, they come together for a touching journey for those feeling a little lost while still holding onto hope.
This journey comes from César Dyrberg (guitar), Natalie Anston (vocals, keys) and Lucas Innocenti (drums). The band was originally formed by Anston with guitarist Bruno Kaddar. After Kaddar left in 2019, she met Dyrberg and Innocenti who were studying at music school together and found a great connection. Together, they create music for the dreamers of the world.
The EP opens with ‘One’ an interesting single that was written for a couple who participated in the crowdfunding for their first EP. The song pulses with life from the first guitar note that joins a gentle synth line. The two layers of the melody complement the lyrics that detail the ups and downs of a relationship and the importance of staying on the same side. Anston’s vocals rise and fall with the lyrics through a ridiculously catchy flow. The guitar solo later in the single is wonderful to listen to.
‘Look at the Stars’ has a softer and more melodic vibe. The gentleness of the melody makes you think of a clear night filled with a fragile stillness. When the instruments pick up, Anston’s vocals howl out across them to send you soaring into a starry night sky. This song really highlights the power of her vocals and her training in opera as she pulls your senses into the stratosphere.
The slow and progressive opening of ‘Ocean’ has an expansive feeling that seems to be endless. There is a lapping feeling to the melody of the single reminding you of its namesake as you listen. When the melody crashes gently it is like waves breaking on the rocks while Anston’s vocals fill you with hope for a better world. Woven into the song is a call out of our treatment of the ocean but this is tempered with a hope for the good we can do in the future.
The EP comes to a close with the title track ‘Vice’ which brings a touch of the 90s to your ears. There is a building tension in the melody while the lyrics consider different vices. There is a wonderful storytelling feeling to the lyrics which are brought to life by Anston’s rather operatic delivery. Her training really shines in this track, particularly when the music reaches its crescendo. While the majority of the song has a building tension, everything descends into chaos close to the end when the instrumentation takes over.
World’s & takes you on a journey across four very different songs that touch on a range of themes in Vice. The EP showcases the blending of sounds that the band is so good at incorporating operatic influences with rock. From the gently lapping tones of the ocean to the chaos of vices, the band sinks their hook into you more and more as you listen.
Find out more about World’s & on their website, Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
