“Yes I Am” is the newest single coupled with “Howl” released by the brothers James and Brian Edwards who together are known as HUNTINGS. Following on from the release of their debut album “Songs of Last Resort”, the duo bring their creative diversity of both softer and heavier styles of writing to the surface whilst still carrying their own distinctive sound.
“Yes I Am” commences proceedings with raucous fashion, keen to grab your attention from the get go, showing the aggression and energy that the group possesses. The pre-chorus is what stands out the most to me, with a drop off that is heavily driven in unison by the drums and guitar that then climaxes into the chorus. I think this is one of those songs that could sound unreal when played live and is an instant headbanger with James’ vocals slotting well into the overall mix.
Again, the bridge builds steadily into a heavy last chorus and then final resolution closing off what I’d vouch for being a pretty decent track. Without the presence of a riff or lead line, I think that the songs struggles slightly to really stand out and perhaps lacks a bit depth in comparison to that of a full band of 4 members. That being said however, these boys have still proven themselves much more than simply competent with the instruments at their disposal.
Following on is “Howl” which begins with a steady melodic riff echoed ahead of an anthemic drum beat. This allows the vocals to take precedence as the song slowly builds throughout, reminding me of having the same overdrive/melodic clash that bands such as Radiohead have capitalised on in the past. I think this song has grown on me the more I’ve listened to it as I’ve come to recognise how it showcases the brother’s class in regards to songwriting, a skill which takes years to develop.
I think that despite the drums feeling slightly misplaced and out of sync with the guitar at times, the track is still a really solid overall, even though I’d probably consider it the weaker of the two.
Overall, HUNTINGS are clearly very experienced workmen in their craft and work very well in coalition with each other. With inspiration from the likes of Nirvana and Joy Division, it’s admirable to see how the band have managed to use influences to learn towards a sound that can become recognisable as their own, and this unique edge is something I believe they should look towards pushing in the future.
There’s still a long way for these fellas to go on the journey down their long and winding road, and I hope they take encouragement from the fact that there are clearly many talents and desirable attributes that they maintain which will undoubtably take them much further forward.
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