NEW BAND AND MUSIC REVIEW: The Nth Degree

I’m a little excited and a little nervous about this review. This is the first time I’m going to review music where the band approached me to review their stuff! So without further ado, let me talk to you guys about, The Nth Degree.

Tommy (Vocals & Keys), Dylan (Bass & Backing Vocals), Mitchell (Guitar), Joel (Drums) and Joel (Guitar) are the names of the fresh young musicians who make up “The Nth Degree”. Coming together only last year, these boys have already managed to write and record their own music. To describe their sound I would say: it’s electro-pop meets rock. Their songs are edgy with the collaboration of techno beats and rocky guitar riffs along with awesome drumbeats - it’s enough to make to want to rave and head bang at the same time.

***

Light Before Dawn

On the off set, it almost sounds like a remix of Linkin’ Park’s, “Numb”. Though at times I thought it was a little wordy, I wanted to get up and dance. I’ve never seen these guys live, but I can imagine there would be a lot of hands in the air, head banging and dancing when this song is being performed. I’d love to hear it live!

Perfect

This is song is available on iTunes and I bought it! I have to say it’s in my top two for these guys. What I love the most about it is the build up within separate sections of the songs. Midway through the verses you get a decent in the accompaniment leaving the vocals to reign and it sounds amazing! You guys seriously need to click the link (title) and buy it – definitely worth every cent! My favourite part is the robotic-like overlay on the vocals towards the end of the song, it gives the song another dynamic and creates a different feel as you listen to the song.

Here Tonight

I can see this song for a major action film or video game trailer. It’s definitely much rockier than some of the other tracks on their page but definitely one to have on your iPod. I love the climatic opening along with the combination of the drums and the piano throughout the song. One concern I have is that the vocals have a little too much echo which at times drowns out the accompaniment, but other wise, it's is pretty good.

The Fight

I’d have to say this is my favourite song that I listened to. It’s a softer song with the focus on some strings and the piano; I love the message of not giving up as well. I think I love this song is because you actually get a chance to hear what Tommy is singing. I’m not saying the previous songs were lyrically bad, I just thought they were a little lyrically dense; sometimes there was just too much going on with the music and the singing. This song pulls it back and really allows listeners to sit and listen to the message being sung. And the guitar solo is amazing – totally needs to be on the next guitar hero!

Within the Dream

I have to be honest and say this is my least favourite song. It starts off beautifully (musically), but when the crescendo comes at the chorus there’s just too much going on; the vocals over power on the track, but I think live, Tommy would be drowned out. I’m not sure if it’s supposed to be a rap somewhere in there too, but if it was I just don’t think it fits with the ensemble. It’s not irritating to the ear and I would listen to it here and there, but I think if I had this song on my iPod I wouldn’t hesitate to press skip. In saying that though, the quieter sections of the song are lovely – it’s just about balancing the vocals and the louder instruments.

The End (One Last Time)

I love how this song opens – the guitar riffs by this band are just superb! There’s a delicate balance of falling and rising in this piece that you could have on repeat. I’m not a big fan of speaking in songs because they’re usually just odd she you're listening – not just for this song, just in general. It makes sense for video clips, but not necessarily within songs. I think the vocals overpower the accompaniment again in this song which is a shame because it’s another soft song, but like I said, I’d listen to this song on repeat.

Sympathy

This is where that ‘electro-pop’ really comes through. There is an excellent split between the techno feel and the rockfish vibe, but they compliment each other very well. I love the vocal dynamics in the second verse for this song, the two voices don’t compete with each other and they really support one another; the lyrics are great as well. There’s just a great energy with this song, it’s one I can see being played at parties and major social events.

Overall

At times the vocals overpower the accompaniment, but it’s not too noticeable. Sometimes there are too many words being sung at once which leads to slight mumbling in the sentences, but it’s well carried regardless of the amount of words per beat. As a whole, The Nth Degree have a very mature sound, it’s hard to believe that they’re still starting out. I don’t usually listen to this kind of music, but I have to say, I enjoy listening to their stuff. Kudos boys!

sL Star Rating: 3.5 Stars

Next on sL: Jake Nauta, From These Hands