28 Apr 2024
UsernamePassword

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

Bridges - EP Review: Twenty Something

19 Oct 2023 // A review by Danica Bryant

Indie-pop starlet Bridges is a creative based in Tamaki Makaurau, now debuting with the high drama of her first EP Twenty Something. Developing as an artist for several years, this project speaks perfectly to the character that the real-world Rachel Hamilton is ready to transform into as the one and only Bridges.

Kicking the collection off dramatically, Misfits is a dynamic pop track tinged with elements of punk and indie rock. Its chorus packs a huge punch, energetic and danceable in its sharp guitars and upbeat drums. It's a joyous track celebrating identity chaos, an exciting opener, but perhaps the only song that doesn't feel quite cohesive amongst the EP's otherwise relatively clean pop sound and expressive themes.

Early single Pills drips with smooth, sparkling synths in the veins of acts like CHVRCHES and Lauv. Sonically, it fits into the alternative Tumblr-style pop of the mid-2010s, an era rapidly gaining a sense of nostalgia around it. Pills knows this and deliberately plays off of it, with its lyrics diving into how medication can aid mental health struggles, and Bridges' affected vocal performance. No doubt this song will speak to an increasingly distraught younger generation, who can relate to the themes of finding light in an ever-darkening world.

On the opposite end of the scale, Okay, Alright refuses to mask its heavy emotion behind chart-ready production. Instead, this song is a distorted, layered ballad which sees Bridges show vulnerability, whilst maintaining mystery as to what she's really singing about. "I was a child", she says delicately. There's a shudder to her voice that makes the questions this line brings up all the more interesting than if she were to spell it out.

Gone makes for an appropriate finale in its slow, cinematic build. Its hook shivers with intensity as Bridges declares herself "stuck in the middle of a post-love war". Slick guitar riffs and a constant feeling of tension and release in this track make it exemplary of the best in the genre. 

It's clear Bridges' recent shift from soft singer-songwriter material into fully fledged indie-pop has strengthened her craft and brand considerably. This is a powerful debut that unveils more depth with each listen, forging a path for Bridges as one of Aotearoa's most exciting new voices.

 

About Bridges

Alternative indie-pop artist Bridges has burst onto the New Zealand music scene, with a new sound of pop melodies soaked in atmospheric guitars and driving rhythms, all set to rich vocal tones expressing a powerful vulnerability.

Writing and performing as an acoustic singer/songwriter for years, Rachel Hamilton - the person behind the project - has been diversifying her sound since moving from her home city of Christchurch, to study music in Auckland. Bridges marks the beginning of a new era, of a richer and dramatic sound.

Following the release of her debut single Sister, Bridges featured on RDU and performed live with her band on RNZ, before laying low to finish work on her upcoming debut EP.

Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for Bridges

Releases

There are no releases to display for Bridges.

Other Reviews By Danica Bryant

Aro - Album Review: He Rakau, He Ngarara
21 Apr 2024 // by Danica Bryant
Tamaki Makaurau based husband & wife duo Charles & Emily Looker, otherwise known as Aro, escape genre boundaries on their fourth body of work, He Rakau, He Ngarara. Aro's waiata draw from country and folk, jazz, and shades of haka, making for a collection that often purposefully creates sonic whiplash in a stunning exploration of sound and kaitiakitanga and manaakitanga.
Read More...
Gig Review: Homegrown 2024 @ Wellington Waterfront - 16/03/2024 Part 1
17 Mar 2024 // by Danica Bryant
By some miracle, Homegrown 2024 hits a home run and finds Welly on an infamous good day this Saturday, 16th March. That sun is blazing down as the fairground rides and colourful outfits roll out onto the waterfront.
Read More...
Amiria Grenell - Album Review: The Winter Light
12 Mar 2024 // by Danica Bryant
Otautahi folk singer Amiria Grenell boasts many accolades to her name, and her new album The Winter Light will surely add to the pack. This is a cozy collection of classic folk songs, grounded in nature, family and the endless search for true peace.
Read More...
Bird Machine - EP Review: Hey Human
25 Feb 2024 // by Danica Bryant
Their name is animal, but their music is undeniably human. Bird Machine's latest release is a five-track collection of shoegazing pop-rock, composed by husband and wife duo Luke and Jenna Grbin.
Read More...
Peyton Morete - Album Review: The End To The Beginning
11 Dec 2023 // by Danica Bryant
Poneke artist Peyton Morete goes big with her self-produced album The End to the Beginning, a high-concept collection following the ups and downs of a life and the cyclical nature of the world. The record encompasses a variety of genres from cinematic soundscape pieces and acoustic pop to elements of rap and R&B, all held together by Morete's charismatic vocal performance.
Read More...
VÏKÆ - Album Review: Love Games Deluxe
26 Nov 2023 // by Danica Bryant
Auckland artist VÏKÆ never stops with her busy musical output, with her latest release Love Games Deluxe serving as another welcome entry in her catalogue. It's a project that perfectly encapsulates her brand of singable yet strange, weird yet wonderful, asking you to dance with the threat of dragging you if you resist.
Read More...
MOHI - Album Review: Elements of Aroha
26 Nov 2023 // by Danica Bryant
MOHI is a bilingual artist, bending music and language to bear his soul. His new album Elements of Aroha circles its recurring motif of love as a force of nature, connecting people to the land in a tranquil musical journey.
Read More...
Jupita - EP Review: Want You Back
16 Nov 2023 // by Danica Bryant
Julia Morris is a multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter hailing from Auckland, stepping out as indie-pop soloist Jupita on the debut EP Want You Back.Whilst the opening track's title Anxiety might fool you into thinking this will be a heavy moment and collection, this number is actually incredible fun.
Read More...
View All Articles By Danica Bryant

NZ Top 10 Singles

  • FORTNIGHT
    Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone
  • TOO SWEET
    Hozier
  • DOWN BAD
    Taylor Swift
  • THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT
    Taylor Swift
  • SO LONG, LONDON
    Taylor Swift
  • I CAN DO IT WITH A BROKEN HEART
    Taylor Swift
  • MY BOY ONLY BREAKS HIS FAVORITE TOYS
    Taylor Swift
  • BUT DADDY I LOVE HIM
    Taylor Swift
  • FLORIDA!!!
    Taylor Swift feat. Florence And The Machine
  • WHO'S AFRAID OF LITTLE OLD ME?
    Taylor Swift
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