Evelyn - DiE TWiCE

Single Review

By Eli Andrew

The opening chords of ‘Evelyn’ sneak into earshot like a thief in the night. Die Twice, an alt-rock four piece hailing from Exeter, sounds effortlessly smooth here, with lyrics of ketamine, cheap wine and Cadillacs crooning out from vocalist Olly Bayton. There is an almost wild-west feel to the track with the high, brassy notes of the trumpets coupled with the bending, vibrato guitar licks to create an atmosphere akin to a gunslinger showdown.

Billy Twamley’s guitar strings buzz harmonically, almost like a sitar. Bayton sometimes whispers, sometimes bellows his delivery, lending a feel of unpredictability and pent-up anger to the tune. Jake Coles’ drums keep a steady course throughout, creating a solid foot-stomper of a groove along with Finn Lloyd’s chugging, fuzzy bass riffs. Both ramp things up during the breakdown, before the soaring, wah-wah guitar solo reminiscent of Slash.

Their sound is vintage, channelling 60s/70s heavyweights such as Led Zeppelin and the Doors, but modern, more polished. You can hear the influence of Arctic Monkeys at play, particularly the darker, scuzzier Humbug-era (which was in turn influenced by Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age, who produced that album). With nods to rock’n’roll greats both past and present, there is a sense of big things to come from Die Twice.

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