28 Mar 2024
UsernamePassword

Remember Me? | Join | Recover
Click here to sign in via social networking

The First Child - Album Review: Sincerely Yours

31 Mar 2022 // A review by Kev Rowland

I’ve seen The First Child play a few times over the last year, so was pretty sure I knew what to expect from this 7-track EP, but when it commenced with Lunacy, You’re So Beautiful, I was nothing short of shocked. The reason for that is these guys are a post hardcore act with stacks of aggression, so to have the album start with gentle vocals and plenty of keyboards was not what I expected at all! They did break it down at one point, but it made me wonder what was to come next. This commenced with a heavy drum pattern which gave way to a single riffing guitar and then we were into Don't care, didn't ask, plus you're dead to me, which was far more like what I had expected. They have plenty of aggression within their music, but they are more than just another shouty hardcore outfit (although there is plenty of that as well), with interesting guitar lines and powerful arrangements. They understand there is a need for lightness to allow the shade to shine, and also allow themselves to have songs which contain multiple sections and different tempos, while never moving too far away from their genre of choice.

Lily Mou is a singer who is more of a frontman than a singer, and here he is at his best when he is putting his soul on the line for all to see. The production has deliberately put drummer Liam Walker quite high in the mix, which allows the listener to hear just how much work he is putting in behind the kit as he is constantly changing patterns to allow the guitarists to mix it up. One disadvantage to this is that the bass of Jacob Levesque Baird is a little behind where it should be (at least to my ears), which is a shame as he is also putting in plenty of nuances. Then we have Georgi Dobrev and Sam Murray who link well, but never allow their guitars to become too raucous. This EP has allowed the whole band to shine, as it is quite different to how they are in the live environment where they throw themselves and their instruments into the music and tend to turn everything up to 11. Here there is more forethought with way more depth, and the result is an introduction to the band which is incredibly varied with a lot going on. The repeated guitar line within You’re Adorable I’m Horrible is in stark contrast to what has gone before and consequently works incredibly well.

If, like me, have seen The First Child in concert and know exactly what to expect from this EP then take it from me, you’re wrong. For fans of post hardcore tinged with emo.

Rating: ( 3 / 5 )
 

About The First Child

Since 2019, The First Child have made a name for themselves in the New Zealand local scene for their progressive approach in the realm of emo and hardcore favouring the use of technical musical stylings. Combining their love of emotional and experimental post-hardcore, alternative culture, Japanese music and the aesthetic of anime and video games, they have earned recognition as one of the forerunners of the New Zealand alternative scene for their uniqueness and undying commitment to the identity they have crafted for themselves.

With a heavy focus on nurturing their local scene; the band have made a name for themselves in the New Zealand local punk and metal scene due to their tireless work-ethic and progressive approach to their shows. This approach meant developing their local scene by any means necessary, such as mentoring younger bands, and building relationships with new venue owners across Auckland. After years of hard work, The First Child have become a cult classic in Auckland and there is not a single venue that they would struggle to fill with fans of vulnerable and emotional alternative music.


Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for The First Child

Releases

Sincerely Yours
Year: 2022
Type: EP
Violent Delight
Year: 2020
Type: EP
Greying Into Bloom
Year: 2019
Type: EP

Other Reviews By Kev Rowland

Gig Review: Crushfest @ The Tuning Fork, Auckland - 07/07/2023
07 Jul 2023 // by Kev Rowland
So it was down to Tuning Fork for the first night of the second Crushfest festival. Tonight was going to be Wellington and Auckland bands, and then some of the same will be playing at the second night in Wellington next month.
Read More...
Rain - Single Review: Love and War
15 Jun 2023 // by Kev Rowland
It has been quite a while since I last heard from Wellington-based singer songwriter Cathy Elizabeth, and back then Rain was seen solely as a studio project with Cathy being accompanied by Thomas Te Taite, who provided all the instrumentation including digital drums. Now they are a full band who have been performing live, and it is the first time they have recorded as such, with Thomas now, just providing acoustic guitar (plus engineering and producing etc.
Read More...
Lost Vessels - Single Review: All This Time
01 Jun 2023 // by Kev Rowland
I must admit I was not that impressed when I first saw Lost Vessels play at Crushfest, something they later admitted to me was the worst gig of their career, but since then they have improved in leaps and bounds. This has been noticed by others on the Auckland circuit as they are getting more opportunities with better support slots, and I was not at all surprised when they won the Ding Dong Lounge Battle Of The Bands in November last year.
Read More...
Unwanted Subject - Single Review: Sons of Savages
28 May 2023 // by Kev Rowland
I have caught Unwanted Subject in concert a few times over the last couple of years, and while they have been getting better each time I have seen them, I must admit that nothing prepared me for this, which right from the off is a monster. I have never heard them quite this is aggressive, nor as polished, and this multi-sectioned single sounds almost like a different band as they have pushed their metal roots to the max in this metalcore beast which sees them mixing and blending different genres to create something quite special.
Read More...
Gig Review: Stray Dogs @ AUX, Auckland - 26/05/2023
28 May 2023 // by Kev Rowland
So it was back to Ding Dong Lounge on a Friday night for one of their infamous Emo nights, which tonight was a three-band bill with Stray Dogs having an extended set, supported by Altaea and then up first we had Blindr, a band new to me. Blindr are a quartet featuring Bill Caldwell (vocals, guitar), Blake Woodfield (lead guitar), Jack Power (bass), and Charlie McCracken (drums).
Read More...
Gig Review: Turkey The Bird @ The Ministry of Folk, Auckland - 27/05/2023
27 May 2023 // by Kev Rowland
Back up to Auckland Guide Centre in Mount Eden tonight for my second consecutive gig (Sol suggested it was a turkey sandwich as I am at Vader tomorrow) to see Taranaki’s finest, Turkey The Bird at The Ministry of Folk. Before that we of course had Hoop, who are Al Baxter (vocals, guitar, harmonica, banjo, mandolin), Nick Edgar (vocals, guitar, ukulele, flute, harmonica), Emily Allen (violin, viola), Glenn Coldham (bass) while tonight Gary Hunt was filling in for drummer Rusty Knox.
Read More...
This Silent Divide - Single Review: Beautiful Creature
25 May 2023 // by Kev Rowland
Here we have the latest single from Wellington-based melodic hard rock quartet This Silent Divide, entitled Beautiful Creature. I really enjoyed their Tall Stories EP, and they played a great gig at Dead Witch towards the end of last year, and this would have been recorded at about the same time.
Read More...
Gig Review: Emily Rice @ Your Local Coffee Roasters, Pukekohe - 24/05/2023
24 May 2023 // by Kev Rowland
Earlier this week I had a message from Emily Rice asking me if I lived in South Auckland. When I responded I did, she asked if I would be interested in coming along to an event she was putting on in a coffee shop in Pukekohe to celebrate the release of her new single, Warenoa.
Read More...
View All Articles By Kev Rowland

NZ Top 10 Singles

  • WE CAN'T BE FRIENDS (WAIT FOR YOUR LOVE)
    Ariana Grande
  • BEAUTIFUL THINGS
    Benson Boone
  • END OF BEGINNING
    Djo
  • LOSE CONTROL
    Teddy Swims
  • TEXAS HOLD 'EM
    Beyonce
  • STICK SEASON
    Noah Kahan
  • PRAISE JAH IN THE MOONLIGHT
    YG Marley
  • CARNIVAL
    Kanye West And Ty Dolla $ign
  • SATURN
    SZA
  • LOVIN ON ME
    Jack Harlow
View the Full NZ Top 40...
muzic.net.nz Logo
100% New Zealand Music
All content on this website is copyright to muzic.net.nz and other respective rights holders. Redistribution of any material presented here without permission is prohibited.
Report a ProblemReport A Problem