Thursday 7 March 2013

The Contagious Reviewed


The Contagious are a three-piece studio project from Sydney Australia, blending the sounds of the guitar, vocals, the sitar, apparently, and a driving rhythm section. The band follows the conventional song writing formula of soft rock combining powerful guitar solos with influences of traditional rock with traces of pop.  Listening to the band, it’s evident there’s elements the 80s coming through. It’s appropriate to compare The Contagious with the likes of Bon Jovi, Journey and others.


There’s something to be said about the lyrics too. They speak for themselves. The band continues to follow themes explored in rock. Thoughts of love, disheartenment, determination and longing seem to be the key features of this EP.

With 20 years of musical experience, they have become a trio of ‘epic proportions’. The title track ‘Night Street’ seems to be the portrayal of a lost soul walking through the depths of darkness alongside her struggles that she has endured in her lifetime.

Nevertheless we see a determined character blossom, eager to find her way into the light. United with a strong presence of a guitar, alongside powerful, yet angelic vocals from lead vocalist Annalivia. The whole thing comes together in a masterpiece of creativity. There’s a sense of escapism coming through in this song. The need to leave a life behind, and fight for a new beginning!

‘Tomorrow (You’ll Be Gone)” seems to take a different direction. There’s a clear contrast. It moves away from salvaging a relationship to becoming a survivor. An independent woman ready to take on the world. This track has to be one of my personal favorites. The lyrics reveal a strong woman. Someone who has no intention of denying her efforts put forward in a relationship. There’s no denying though, the music delivers an emotional connection with its audience. You start to feel sympathy for the woman pouring her heart out. The guitar really does bring deep routed emotions to centre stage.

This self-titled EP is well written, well produced, and well executed. The chorus in each track is catchy and hooky and the strong vocals and outstanding guitar solos hold the whole thing together. These things are strategically placed to help audiences identify the type of genre they are listening to and, importantly, to make them listen again.

One last thing I want to mention is the cover art. Annalivia, standing proud, head held high. The use of vibrant, bright colours like yellows and orangy reds leaves a strong impression of an independent woman oozing with confidence. It’s time to modernize the 80s’ sound with the Contagious in a very positive way!
                                                                          

1 comment:

  1. You would never believe that it took me this long to read the review but wow!

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