The trouble with liking rock bands’ from the 70s, is that a lot of them are no longer around for us to revel in their snug sounds and warm analogue production, or see live without having to watch through a phone screen. (You know who you are, I’ll knock the bastard thing out of your hand.) It can be hard for modern bands to recreate a sense of time travel, to when “it was better back in my day,” and not sound as if they’re a tribute band-gone original.
The debut self-titled EP from Belgian rock n’ roll band Captain Naysayer, ticks a whole load of boxes in terms of nostalgia and originality. White noise immediately triggers flashbacks for those who grew up pre-1980 as opening track ‘Black Silhouette’ borrows from Blue Cheer’s ‘Summertime Blues,’ utilising the same charm and chime with added cleaner production. With lyrical themes centred around a mystery woman, ‘You like to play, I like to get played. Come on baby play your game,’ is a feeling we can all share whether we like to admit it or not. Tom’s organ keying the same riff as Daan’s lead guitar in a call and response style, adds a progressive element that furthers the feel of decades gone by.
‘Changes’ makes use of slide guitars and reggae drum beats from Evert, with Arthur’s vocals being similar in places to that of Rush’s Geddy Lee and a section of riffed vocals borrowing from the famed female section of Pink Floyd’s ‘The Great Gig in the Sky.’ Kicking down the door with a lot more swagger and attitude is ‘Voodoo Lovin’’, the track being rougher around the edges like a blunt serrated knife. The lyrics are penned about the risks we’d take just for the sake of satiating our carnal lust: “Nothing in my mind except for the desire for the fire that was burning in between your legs.” Following on from a keyboard solo, the tracks closing vocal wail signifies the lost battle between your conscience and sexual appetites, whilst showcasing Arthur’s shattering vocal abilities that didn’t get their chance to shine throughout the bulk of the track.
Introducing a slower tempo and softer organ notes, ‘Blue Eyed Mask’ tells the tale of putting on a happy face every morning when the harsh reality is that the world is falling apart around you: ‘You’re killing the past with your blue-eyed mask/ Day by day your life is melting away// Climbing up the payment scale/ No sense of reality/ Making money, it’s funny/ Cause friendship decays.’ Pretty piano notes lead into a guitar solo that incorporates so much feeling that it’s hard to escape the constricting vines of someone else’s emotions.
Ending on ‘Living Again,’ a sample snippet of an olde time radio voice acts as a ruse before the heavyweight of the EP makes an entrance. Super deep backing vocals combined with a Black Sabbath styled chorus riff over the lyrics ‘authority crumbles down,’ herds the EP’s heaviness into one field. The middle-8 brings in a slower bass tempo with a throwback to ‘Changes’ in the form of more impressive vocal riffing.
Captain Naysayer have created a debut EP that utilises and borrows from a range of their influences rather than replicating them, promising the Belgian quintet a fruitful fate if they continue down their yellow brick road. ‘Captain Naysayer’ is out now across all streaming platforms, and to keep up to date with band information and tour dates click here, or head to their social medias linked below.
Follow FREAK on socials;
Facebook 💀@FreakMag666
Instagram 💀@FreakJaz666 / @PurpleZebraPant
Twitter 💀@FreakMag666 /@PurpleZebraPant
YouTube 💀@Freak Magazine
TikTok 💀@Metallijaz
Follow CAPTAIN NAYSAYER on socials;
Facebook 💀@CaptainNaysayer
Instagram 💀@CaptainNaysayerOfficial
YouTube 💀
Spotify 💀