“Wrote a song, I’m feeling great.“
Uzumaki waste no time introducing themselves on debut album Waded. The London-based four-piece have been making waves with their energetic live shows since late 2021, in addition to the release of EP Square One in the summer of 2023 – a slice of alternative rock that nicely sets the stage for Waded.
Opener “Waded for You,“ begins with a thunderous bassline and warm, fuzzed out guitar that feel lifted straight from the 1990s, immediately announcing their slacker-grunge style. “Heaven” doubles down on this, containing all the trappings of a typical alt-rock song, from walls of power chords to an explosive solo. While Uzumaki clearly wear their American influences on their sleeve, drawing from the likes of early Weezer and Jawbreaker, their music has a distinct British flavour, channelling the laid-back energy of Britpop greats such as Blur.
Lead single “Scenes of Beauty” stands out for its notably more complex riffs, demonstrating the tightness of Uzumaki’s rhythm section, with intertwining guitar parts across the verses that become united in a driven chorus. Following this, “Look Outside” pumps up the intensity once again with aggressive, punkier guitar reminiscent of Fugazi. Despite drawing from a variety of styles, the songs on Waded are united through their immaculate production (courtesy of Tom Hill of The Bookhouse) which captures the rawness of a live performance yet leave each part stunningly clear in the mix.
Although the band frequently ventures into heavy territory on Waded, vocalist Alex Cheung remains relaxed, a stark contrast from typical grunge performances. Instead, his voice is melodic, with a warmth that compliments the foundations of distortion-laden guitars. Emotional tracks such as “Change of View” give Cheung’s vocal talents a true chance to shine – and although his lyrics may not be the most complex, they more then make up for their simplicity through both earnestness and relatability. The aforementioned “Change of View,” for example, reflects the common desire to escape the mundane nature of the 9-5, and stands as one of the record’s most evocative tracks.
Unfortunately, despite this strong start, the album starts to loose steam here, as it’s nostalgic charm begins to fade. The latter half of Waded falls into a trap that many throwback bands find themselves in, in which they begin to sound like a vague amalgamation of their influences, lacking the character to set themselves apart from their predecessors. “Downtown” is one of the few songs of the second half that stand out to me, primarily for it’s infectiously catchy chorus. Closing track “Catapult,” however, is a stunning return to form, and represents the band at it’s best, displaying a close control of dynamics in the interplay between the guitars and vocals.
Though it may be front-loaded, Waded is a certainly a worthwhile listen for fans of slacker rock or grunge who are after a fresh take on the genre. Uzumaki’s debut undeniably oozes with adoration for all things 90s alternative, and is a promising first release that spells a bright future for the young band.
7/10
Waded is set to release September 13th via Everything Sucks Music and can be pre-ordered here.