There’s nothing quite like the release of an artist’s debut album. As of September 13, 2024, London-based band Uzumaki can attest to this as they released their first album, titled Waded.
According to the band, this project has been waiting in the wings since 2020, making this highly anticipated release all the more special. In Waded, Uzumaki dare to go full nineties Brit rock instead of just dipping their toes in it as many of their peers do. And whereas many bands who attempt this musical style run the danger of coming across as an Oasis tribute band – the demand of which has declined drastically as of late –, Uzumaki manage to come across as authentic.
The first track ‘Waded For You’ is a heavily instrumental song with a clever pun as its title and makes for the perfect introduction to the album. ‘Heaven’ has a cinematic quality to it; it’s the kind of song you scream along to on a midnight drive.
‘Scenes Of Beauty’ was the first taste fans got of the album and it’s undoubtedly the right choice for the lead single as it sets the tone for the project. This tone becomes a bit more aggressive with ‘Look Outside’: A fast-paced track with some slow moments in between that give it a moving sincerity.
With ‘Game We Play’ comes the lyrically strongest song on the album whilst the following track ‘Change Of View’ is more instrumental-based. Those long instrumental intros that many of the songs on the album have, including the next ones, titled ‘Change Of View’ and ‘Head Up’, is something we haven’t heard a lot in recent music.
The highlight of the album is ‘Day Of Days’. It stands out among the high-energy, fast-paced songs although it’s not necessarily slower. It is, however, more reflective and sadder and provides a moment of sincere vulnerability.
With a runtime of only 2:05 minutes, ‘Downtown’ is the shortest song on the album and this brevity makes perfect sense. The song has a juvenile innocence to it; it conveys an adventurous feeling, precipitous and reckless, and therefore doesn’t need to be longer.
It’s not quite clear what the track ‘Cold Feet’ is about but that is exactly what makes it so relatable. The music fading out at the end is another element we haven’t had a lot of in recent releases.
‘Disguise Your Mindset’ is the anthem of your rebellious phase you never quite grew out of. Letting out anger and frustration, the song has a cathartic quality to it. The closing track ‘Catapult’ starts darker than the other songs but the waves of euphoria that follow in the chorus make it the perfect closing track.
Waded is a heavily instrumental album. Giving instruments so much space and relying so much on the electric guitar is rare these days, even in rock, so this is a welcome change. Furthermore, it gives the album coherence as all the songs have a similar style. It’s a well-done debut that is certainly going to attract a lot of new fans.
Written by: Melanie Falkensteiner
Edited by: Ilse Muis
