Citizens of Finnish city Vantaa often have to deal with the ground to be rumbled by the close vicinity of the airport. It seems like there might be yet another reason in town for the earth to rumble: street rockers Blackcurrent have recently released a new EP called Homicide.
“Homicide” is only three tracks long, but it crams a lot in; each song sounds equally good, with that right kind of rock ‘n roll-attitude we all like. We are treated to a street rock band who combines both influences from sleaze rock, punk and grunge to their sound and appropriating those, to make their own sound. This sound is something they can sustain throughout the whole length of the EP; the songs are uniform and consistent.
Opening track “Wild Roses” bends and swirls around its rock roots with touches of punk music in its guitar lines and vocals. The song starts quite firmly, with a catchy riff. Throughout the song we notice those sturdy drum beats and in-your-face-punk attitude. However, the punk influence is clear especially in this song, it is clear that Blackcurrent plays a brand of rock music that definitely has some modern overtones to it, but at the same time it shows us a good well-balanced combination of both punk and sleaze rock. It is in the first moments of “Homicide” that the potential of lead singer Ari Kuusela become clear, as he takes the vocals to a new level by starting off with a subtle yet raw scream. This makes it a bit unfortunate that the scream was a bit suppressed in the mix. “Nothing Goes As Planned” is the most catchy song of the three, with definite elements of sleaze rock incorporated as if it was almost meant to surprise us, including that searing guitar solo we have all been looking for.
If you are a fan of rock music, which a touch of punk, then this is the right band to follow up on. It’s yet another of those dizzying, sub-eight-minute EPs of which every minute is one too short. Three tracks were not enough for me to discover the true potential of this band and I definitely would like to hear more from this band in the future.
Tracklist
1. Wild Roses
2. Homicide
3. Nothing Goes As Planned
Line-up
Vocals & Guitar – Ari Kuusela
Bass & Backing Vocals – Joona Moilanen
Guitar & Backing Vocals – Sami Katajainen
Drums – Lari Siltala
