ALBUM REVIEW: BERRIES self-titled sophomore album

BERRIES are a jagged rock trio made up of Holly Carter, Lauren Cooper and Lexi Clark. They deliver a garage rock melody which draws on rock, with a distinctly grunge vibe running through it. It has that grass roots punk feel too with its simple guitar / bass / drums quality, punctuated by a beating heart driven by clear, sharp drum beats and some fantastic riffs. The self-titled “BERRIES” is their follow up to 2022’s debut album release “How We Function”. It is out this Friday (18th October) via Xtra Mile Recordings. It is available to order now HERE.

The album opens with a bang in the form of Barricade welcoming on this journey with some sharp toms before the guitar kicks in with its crisp clear tones. It has a punchy feel to it and an infectious beat. A great example of how that sparse sound structure can actually work miracles.

I love the intro to the next track Creature with its frantic, staccato almost glitchy intro reminiscent of late 80’s indie stuff like The Shop Assistants. One of my favourite tracks on the album, I love its quirky nature with powerful vocals that drive the track forwards. One definitely to dance to.

Another stand out is the delightful Blurry Shapes, which has wonderfully unique and disjointed guitar section through it. An interesting structure, which is on the whole well defined and sharp with some outstanding vocals from Holly which are rich and mellow in tone, but then there’s these unusual elements poking through which add an extra dimension to it. Love it.

The single Watching Wax is up next with some sharp angular guitar sounds and catchy riffs. It has a more popular feel to it, but that’s no bad thing here, its catchy and up beat and one that surely will become a fan favourite in the live setlist. It builds and has an intensity to it which explodes in a prompt and unexpected, sudden end.

Next up is Balance, which provides just that…. some balance. A stripped back mostly just acoustic guitar and vocal number with some delightful backing vocals providing some magical harmonies. A forms a moment of calm and reflection. Its delicate and beautiful but somehow has a powerful edge, or undercurrent to it. An unexpected and wonderful moment.

The most recent single Jagged Routine is next and the calm of Balance is gone as the sharp clear snare beats and striking bass line, drive us forwards. The chorus sections are suitably powerful and rich tonally and there’s a squealing powerful guitar solo in the mix too before the crashing cymbols and power riffs take over again, and as it ends, it draws a last long slow final breathe as the feedback fades away into the silence.

This Space is another frenzied number with some angular guitar notes adding interest, reflecting on a space away from the outside world, with lyrics likes “This small space means everything to me”. It sits starkly against Narrow Tracks which has a richer, deeper feel to it, with a catchy chorus section and some more great backing vocals adding dynamism to the track. It’s a real contrast from This Space and throughout this album BERRIES mix the tracks really well, taking you on a twisting and turning journey of discovery.

As the album draws to a close we have Control which starts off with a very old school punk infused staccato set of stabbed guitar notes before the power chords hit big time like hitting a brick wall.

And our journey with BERRIES ends with Crumpled Clothes, which draws together the sonic feel of this album so perfectly. It’s a maelstrom of crashings symbols, hard hitting toms and power riffs against which Holly’s vocals scramble over. It feels chaotic in a way, but when you ‘stand back’ you can appreciate how the competing elements come together in a delightful cacophony – a. captivating experience which seems to sum up BERRIES perfectly.

This is an album that shows BERRIES are growing in confidence and carving their own path with their own unique sound, craving out an abstract and at times chaotic soundscape. I love the rough edges to some of it, well produced, but has that raw quality I love.

No second album blues on show here, a solid album and rightly deserving a score of 9.0

Berries – Trackllist

Barricade

Creature

Blurry Shapes

Watching Wax

Balance

Jagged Routine

This Place

Narrow Tracks

Control

Crumpled Clothes

To support the release of the new album, BERRIES hit the road next week on an eight date headline tour starting out in Brighton on 23rd October and finishing up in Southampton on 1st November.

Berries Headline Tour 2024

October

23 – Brighton, The Prince Albert

24 – Nottingham, Bodega

25 – Leeds, Hyde Park Book Club

26 – Manchester, Gullivers

29 – Bristol, Thekla

30 – London, Lexington

31 – Norwich, Waterfront

November

1 – Southampton, Heartbreakers