SweetLipp deliver a nostalgic journey through seventies-inspired nonchalant and boozy rock with debut EP ‘Kickback’
Four-piece rock outfit SweetLipp have teamed with producer Sam Woods to pay homage to some of the greats; illuminating themselves as just as capable and charming as their predecessors. Taking note from Pink Floyd, The Doors and Led Zeppelin, Kickback offers a nostalgic four-track experience that feels ripped straight from the seventies.
Bluesy guitar lines drenched in grit, a growling, oft-times slurred vocal reminiscent of Morrison himself and an impossibly tight rhythm section. Opening with Carol, a traditional love song drenched in masculine energy, SweetLipp roll together a confident and seductive sonic vibration that echoes through every distorted note.
Complexly constructed though sprinkled with hooks in the form of guitar lines and a thick chorus chant, Carol is an immediate smooth-talker. The title track amps things up a little, harsher but still sprawling with hefty bass lines and an endearingly listless vocal.
More Rolling Stones than Floyd, Kickback is thick. It’s full of purposeful moments that highlight the group’s industriousness; their ability to write an interestingly accessible song in the genre they’re determined to have a piece of.
Roxy – a bubbling track that begins with a Vampire Weekend-esque riff – SweetLipp dance with a hint of modernity. A showcase of each member as an individual, though possibly the least influenced, Roxy is a new shade of SweetLipp that proves they aren’t just a copy and paste of times past.
This is particularly apparent in the bridge; an atmospheric breakdown that evolves into a messy uptempo outro, one in which includes a variety of pedals and a delicious amount of chaos. Soldier, on the other hand, reverts to its roots. There’s a drunkenness to Soldier, a breezy high that oozes with nonchalance.
There is one track, however, where SweetLipp really shine. Sunflame feels direct from a Stone Roses record. A long, lackadaisical intro that never becomes too long, it’s SweetLipp’s very own Champagne Supernova.
The instrumental track is both the perfect introduction and ending to a SweetLipp record; though lacking the phlegmatic vocals, Sunflame feels like a realised vision.
Listen to SweetLipp below.
Review By Caitlin Norris
