Dearly Beloved – Admission

Alternative Rock | Garage Rock | Grunge

81%

There’s something special about that particular 90s sound. It’s a raw energy, an honest and passionate voice speaking from the soul. It gives you a unique feeling of unbridled power running through your veins and leaves you savouring each breath like it might be your last. The heyday of alternative rock may have passed but it doesn’t go down without a fight. This Canadian duo have captured that same live energy that made bands like The Pixies and Sonic Youth the voices of a generation. A full on blitzkrieg of garage rock goodness, Admission is a wonderfully nuanced affair for those who understand how to look through the brash yet broody exterior.

Despite the relentless nature of the individual tracks, the album as a whole builds a lot more gradually. Although the menacing bass tones, frantic splashes of guitar and inviting harmonies make ‘Who Wants To Know?’ a bit of an outlier, for the most part the finest moments reside in side 2. ‘Boxing Days’ ventures into indie territory and makes a nice change of pace, the doom laden  highlight ‘Blood in the Water’ has hints of classic Black Sabbath with its meadering bass lines and dread-inducing riffs, and the full throttle album closer ‘Future Shock’ ends proceedings on a high. Admission doesn’t quite have the pull to attract new converts, but for fans of the genre it is one of the best releases in years and certainly an essential listen.