The eponymous album from the Southeast London-based rockers The Brouhaha is a 13-track opus which brings together organized funky grooves and chaotic Punk-Rock vibes in a match made in heaven. The album starts off with the intro track “Get Out The Way” and you know right away that this is the kind of music you wanna be headbanging and moshing along to at festivals. The band play an energetic brand of Alternative Rock with catchy hooks and exquisite yet memorable one-liners in their lyrics. The following track, Kinda Guy, has a mid-tempo groove with fast-paced vocals that are highly reminiscent of Anthony Kiedis of Red Hot Chilli Peppers. Rain Down has an exotic dancey beat and an eclectic bassline. This is a skate-friendly song in every sense of the word. The fourth track, My Way, has bombastic guitar riffs (played by Mr Mark Mochan). The fifth track, Only Friends, has a nice guitar chord progression and the bass plays the root notes of these same chords. The band’s bassist Perry Rogantin seems to have long years of experience behind him. There’s an off-beat drumming section in the bridge that sounds super awesome too.
H8 My Job is one of my favourites on the album. It’s a short and relatable number that sounds evil and angsty,in all the right ways. The drumbeat is funky and the bass slaps sound super awesome. Play It Again begins with an intro that feels like a western stand-off between two gunslingers. It’s chaotic and angry, yet the melodies still feel easy to follow. The vocals have more of that fast-paced spoken/rapping style. There’s a crazy guitar solo which fits very well in the song and feels like it is the cherry on top. Fear No Evil shows great drumming. My very weakness is ghost notes on the drums that support the bass line. From the very beginning, you can feel the tone of both bass and snare well mixed with one another and that gave me literal chills. It feels as if the guitar chords are actually supporting the percussion and that is very hard to maintain and that is how you can determine how professional the artist is. Kill Time starts with a cool mix between funky chords and a well-utilized high-hat. You can really tell that the band is very talented when you listen to their versatile drum lines. The vocal line is very catchy and clean, with lyrics that one can easily relate to. The whole vibe of the song feels like you have finished a very long day at work and you are in the bar chilling with your friends.
Rum Bold has a very interesting title. The song starts with a Ramones-influenced kind of rhythm with a pinch of The Brouhaha funky groves, chords and percussions which makes this track very unique. 15 Minutes talks about the pros and cons of the blinding lights of fame. Lyrically and musically you can feel that both the vocalist and the rest of the members channel the same emotion, enhancing one another while doing so. The solo is the star of this song and I didn’t want it to end once I heard it. Wot R U Sayin? has grooves and guitar pedals that make it sound really heavy while still maintaining its relatively slow tempo. The final and title track, Brouhaha, is the longest track. Clocking it at 5 minutes and 6 seconds, the track is full of thick haunting vocals and 70s-sounding riffs and basslines. The final minute of the song is a little calmer and then the album gracefully ends.
In conclusion, this album takes the raw energy and power of anarchist-driven punk rock and mixes it with funky bass lines and exotic drumming patterns that will get you moving around dancing. I can see a great future for The Brouhaha, as what they bring to the table is different, fresh and much needed in today’s Alternative Rock scene.
