The Sunday Sadness are putting Bordeaux, France firmly on the musical map. Their self-titled debut EP introduces fans to their quirky, dark-pop sound, which also incorporates elements of rap. Touching upon many emotions from sadness to love, relationships and ambition, there are plenty of feelings in the EP that we can relate to. Read on to find out what we thought about this intriguing release…
Release opener Lost In The Crowd kicks off with a heavy electro sound, building us up for something that is going to drop when we’re least expecting it. Matthieu Kirby’s distorted vocals are sugary sweet, but when a rap section is introduced there’s a contrast that makes this track a very intriguing listen. We’ll be honest we’re a little bit confused; yes, it’s incredibly catchy but we’re taken on a musical rollercoaster which makes it hard to really enjoy this track as a whole. Variation is all well and good, but we’re all over the place and not in a good way. With a title like Damn I Hate It we really hope this isn’t a sign of things to come. We, however, can confirm that we definitely do not hate this pop influenced track, which immediately gets us up on our feet. Vocally the track is much stronger, it’s a great dose of pure pop with some synths and distortion thrown in for good measure. There’s a really big singalong vibe here thanks to the track’s repetitiveness, as Kirby sings of feeling like people are getting far too close and know more about you than you might want.
One thing we’ve noticed is that The Sunday Sadness are fans of creating longer tracks, which means they need to deliver something special to keep our attention hooked. But Someone feels like something is missing. This is the strongest track lyrically on the release so far, singing of trying to move on when it seems the hardest thing to overcome. Across the EP it feels as if the lyrics have taken a backseat to compensate for the overwhelmingly busy musical accompaniment. After three minutes it feels like we’re trapped in a musical circle we just want to escape from. Going from one extreme to another, we’re welcomed by a short, snappy and sharp interlude in the middle of the release entitled High Beams. Building up a picture in our minds it feels like we’re in a film on a wild chase, or driving down an open road at full speed. We’re excited to see what the second half of the EP holds…
The Hunger continues with the dramatic edge, but throws in synths from the very start – this is what we were hoping the quartet would bring out of the bag sooner rather than later. Getting the perfect mix of in-your-face instrumentals whilst allowing the vocals to gain their own spotlight, it’s the most well-rounded track we’ve been treated to on the record. Testing the water once again with a variety of music styles, the riffiest guitar solo and layering of sounds make us hooked. That was definitely five minutes well spent. The Wrong Way is another light-hearted affair, swirling around in your head. We’ll be honest this reminds us at points of The Midnight Beast (throwback or what!) thanks to the fast-paced, spoken vocals. We’re soon thrown back into the deep end as the chorus provides big, bold drops, and it feels like this is a completely new release. It’s like The Sunday Sadness have found “their sound” on this track. Closing the EP is Sad Songs, which definitely doesn’t sound like your generic sad song. It’s hard not to feel the sadness and struggles being faced, as the track offers a real vocal depth. It’s a musical pic’n’mix and we love it, you never know what’s around the corner whether you’re hearing delicate, melodic vocals or gritty spoken vocals.
The Sunday Sadness might not have had the easiest musical journey on this EP, but let’s be honest taking risks with their sound is a brave move. For a debut EP the French quartet have shown a whole lot of promise, and with some time and musical refinement we could be writing a much more positive review about EP #2.
5/10
Standout Track: Damn I Hate It, The Hunger
For Fans Of: BTS, The 1975, Chase Atlantic
Written By: Nicola Craig
