#statuesofmen

[existentialmagazine]

Review: Statues of Men share their newest storming indie-rock release ‘Kick Me’ infused with addictive riffs and hooks from start to finish

Not long off the heels of their smashing debut single ‘Choke’, the Pembrokeshire indie-rockers Statues of Men are back once again to tear apart the scene with their latest offering ‘Kick Me.’ Since they banded together in 2018, this four-piece have spent years carefully crafting their sound before gracing the world with everything they’ve perfected. Fearful of becoming literal statues of men if they don’t take their music seriously at full force, Statues of Men are a group who aren’t afraid to give it their all, and if anything they’re more terrified of becoming sucked into the mundane without giving it their all.

A resounding subdued guitar comes speeding into ‘Kick Me’, wielding behind it a wall of sound that doesn’t take long to unleash at its full intensity as clashing drums and a frantic guitar riff intertwine for an energetically tumbling introduction. This only slightly pairs back for the verses’ storming impact, stripping away the emphatic guitar riff and instead seeing their vocalist take the reigns with a clean but rich tone perfect for delivering a charismatic flair that only further complements the bounding energy of ‘Kick Me.’ The constant undertone of quickly strummed guitar is what propels ‘Kick Me’ forwards though, scarcely for a moment calming, instilling a constant adrenaline that makes the song all the more addictive. Just when you think things can’t get any more thrilling, Statues of Men take a moment in the bridge to reset the momentum, resting with lulling steady beats and occasional bright guitar strums that leave you waiting for their inevitable disruption. Soon pulled right back into the action, their quickly strummed guitar makes a return for one final climactic build to see things out into an explosive chorus sure to get you on your feet every single time. Statues of Men know how to build up a song and keep you hooked, and ‘Kick Me’ is surely one you won’t be able to get off repeat for weeks to come.

Volatile in sound, it’s no surprise that ‘Kick Me’ comes with an unhealthy narrative of unrequited love and obsession buried beneath its harsh tones and pounding spirits. As Statues of Men write about being desperate for someone's attention even so badly as to excessively seek it out despite it hurting, ‘Kick Me’ feels like a track struggling with self-worth, finding a sense of identity and appreciation in only the words of others even when they’re a negative influence. Lines like the aching chorus hook ‘kick me when I’m down ‘cause I’m used to bruises’ cling to a desperation to be seen, struggling to feel worthy of anything more when they’ve been so heavily put-down throughout their life. It’s clear their protagonist is one who’s never had a healthy love as lyrics like ‘there’s a spark in you and I, and I want attention from you even when you’re beating me up’ drip with red flags of a relationship clearly detrimental and erringly abusive. ‘Kick Me’ certainly bears a narrative a lot more weighty than it appears on its surface, and as such will likely relate to many who find themselves struggling with their confidence, finding comfort in partners’ who don’t value them as they fight to find themselves the same way Statues of Men are trying to. The message of ‘Kick Me’ isn’t a positive takeaway, if anything more of a harsh depiction of some of the darker struggles faced by many, but it still captures a reality of abuse and self-worth that will hopefully allow their audience to feel less alone whilst shedding a light on how they deserve better.

Check out ‘Kick Me’ for yourself here to enjoy the thunderous sound of Statues of Men as well as the more poignant lyrical journey that comes from their own life experiences.

Written by: Tatiana Whybrow

Photo Credits: Tegan Foley Photography

// This coverage was created via Musosoup, #SustainableCurator

[johnnyrodger]

"The happiness of America is intimately connected with the happiness of all mankind; she is destined to become the safe and venerable asylum of virtue, of honesty, of tolerance, and quality and of peaceful liberty." — Marquis de Lafayette 🇫🇷 🕊 🌳 🌎 🏳️‍🌈 🇺🇸 #marquisdelafayette #happiness #honesty #tolerance #peacefulliberty #philadelphia #philly #fairmountstatues #statues #statuesofmen #sculpture #americanrevolution #1776 #fairmount #fairmountpark #saturdaystatues #saturdaythought #cityart #urbanart #parkart (at Philadelphia Museum of Art)

[existentialmagazine]

Review: Statues of Men’s debut single ‘Choke’ proves why they’re a force to be reckoned with on the alt-rock scene

Upcoming Cardiff alt-rockers Statues of Men are named after a fear of what they could become, with the routines of modern life often taking control and seeing you loose sight of what you truly desire, and for them that’s to perform on the world’s biggest stages and bring their music to hundreds of thousands of people. Founded in their home county of Pembrokeshire in 2018, Statues of Men have been a long time coming, taking inspiration from the likes of Stereophonics and Catfish and the Bottlemen and formulating a sound entirely their own in the four years since setting up. Now finally boasting their debut single ‘Choke’, this four-piece are proving why they’re a force to be reckoned with on the Cardiff music scene.

Used to kickstart their live performances, it’s no doubt that ‘Choke’ is a song wrapped up in bundles of energy, brazen ambition and a drive to get your adrenaline pumping. Buzzing in with the high pitched electric guitar interference often experienced in a raw concert setting rather than studio recordings, ‘Choke’ immediately sets off to be appreciated for more of an industrially leading sound that’s swiftly also complemented by dark pounding guitar and thudding drum beats. Instrumentally intentionally gritty and a little fuzzy, everything about ‘Choke’ feels just as explosive as we can imagine their shows to be, capturing the essence of a bombastic performance in their recording like it’s an easy feat. Their vocalist’s singing adds a needed more refined element to this explosive release, with a clean vocal range and exceptional power that perfectly complements a sound so gravelly. Sitting at just three minutes in length, ‘Choke’ is by no means short but its speeding dominance puts on a show that tears through your eardrums, pleading to be put on repeat for the true experience of its force. Topped off by an exceptional guitar solo in the bridge and one final climactic chorus, ‘Choke’ is a debut that’ll surely see Statues of Men going far, and it would be a mistake not to keep an eye on what they have to come.

Speaking on the confusing dynamics of an almost-relationship and what could’ve been, ‘Choke’ feels like a lyrically cathartic processing of emotions left unsaid, grieving the loss of something that never even was. Despite feeling a little melancholic in its journey, the prevailing dominance of ‘Choke’s speeding instrumentals leaves its message more impassioned and frustrated rather than saddened, taking a strong resentment to the experience they went through and moving forward from it. As many of the lines seem to vent their previously bottled up exasperations, such as ‘I’m hanging on every sound for another excuse now’, it seems like this almost-relationship was one filled with many overlooked red flags that in retrospect were more grief than ever worth. The chorus hook ‘You don’t know the way in which you choke my self-control’ seems to imply that despite all the difficulties they still continue coming back even when knowing better, evidently prioritising fleeting chemistry over their emotions. Everything about ‘Choke’ screams to be relatable, as many people often find themselves in similar almost-relationships, caught up by feelings and fantasies when the reality seems to be a car-crash waiting to happen.

Check out ‘Choke’ for yourself here to appreciate Statues of Men’s impressive debut and get a much-needed burst of spirits!

Written by: Tatiana Whybrow

Photo Credits: Tegan Foley Photography

// This coverage was created via Musosoup, #SustainableCurator.

[johnnyrodger]

In going on with these Experiments, how many pretty systems do we build, which we soon find ourselves oblig’d to destroy! — Benjamin Franklin — Safer streets for humans with parks like these, please... thanks. 🗝⚡️ 🌳🏛 🌈🌎 #franklin #benfranklin #science #electricity #franklininstitute #felsplanetarium #philadelphia #philly #fairmountstatues #statues #trees #statuesofmen #FranciscodeMiranda #sculpture #fairmount #fairmountpark #cityart #urbanart #parkart (at The Franklin Institute)