A glance at 7he 7ouch shows two things: they don’t look like your typical rock band and they really like the number seven. However, a single play of their EP, Seventyseven, and you’ll be made aware that they sound like your typical hard rock band.
They present themselves in a tight, six-track, twenty minute EP full of variety whilst ensuring their identity as a band isn’t muddled. Unlike most bands of their ilk, you can’t really pick out their influences but there is no other term for it; it’s modern, it’s hard rock. Unabashedly so.
One of their driving forces is using their music to say something. Being forced out of their native Greece due to the economic downturn, the quintet turn their ire on politics at large with lead single “Solution” taking aim at extreme ideas to tackle the issues whilst “You Can” reflects on their initial time after relocating to London and the struggles bands face but frame it to show that anyone can overcome their own obstacles.
Meanwhile, “My Face (Nanana)” with its grungier tones deals with the idea of rejection but keeps it upbeat with its catchy vocal hook. Elsewhere, “Knobs”, whilst not a ballad, is the lightest moment on the EP, looking at the beginnings of relationships. However, it’s the last couple of tracks, “Rage” and “Blitz”, the latter of which possesses a real Who vibe to it. The band pay homage to the past with scratchier guitars and throaty vocals to sound like they came from the late 60s.
It may sound like Seventyseven is doing a lot, and in a way, it is. But at no point can you accuse the band of having an identity crisis. Everything is well-put together with high production values, the instrumentation is engaging and skilful with not a weak link between them. Put that with lyrics that not only inspire but the listener can relate to and we’re onto a winner with 7he 7ouch. This is a great start from a band who are pushing forward what modern hard rock should sound like. Greece’s loss is the UK’s gain.
Seventyseven is out now
7he 7ouch: official | facebook | twitter | instagram | youtube
