There’s something about powerful acoustic strumming that never fails to bring out a stir within me. Take that with the opening lyric on “targets” that says “I woke up in a night sweat with a vision of my fist meeting your face” and you can tell that anger isn’t limited to loud thundering drums. Matthew And The Arrogant Sea have brought to life something visceral, something raw, something vengeful, and something deeply cathartic as it builds. As the drums start to build with vigour and he sings “crooked as a snake”, it’s an almost euphoric sense of fulfilment and release.
It’s sonically grand, drifting from something rather minimal and raw into something much more polished and opulent in its second half. This is indie rock with personality, statement, and stature. It ends far too quickly for my liking, but perhaps that outburst is cleansed as it starts to whittle down after two minutes.
A refreshing piece that can channel your anger.