Black Wings release
their first album, Meltwater, on Powertool
Records. Palmerston North band, Black
Wings, have just released their first album, entitled Meltwater,
through New Zealand alternative music label Powertool
Records. Black Wings are a
three-piece guitar band that formed in 2006 who play dark alternative
rock. Guitarist and lead singer Brendan Conlon sings about love
and death, pills and graveyards, being on the run, going fast and crashing
hard. JC Burns plays grinding, melodic basslines and sings gravel
toned vocals that harmonise with the lead to create a dark chorus. The
pulsating distorted bass provides a counterpoint to the clean rhythm guitar
chops. Drummer Tristam Laycock lays down a solid beat with a subtle
twist and keeps the trio rolling tightly. The nine track album, Meltwater,
includes tracks such as; ‘Amber’, a song about the feeling of death
when you know for sure that it’s over; ‘The Grave’, an love song
that compares the comfort of addiction with the loss of a loved one; A
cover of Paul Kelly’s ‘I Won’t Be Your Dog’, which is about
drawing a line in the sand and saying that’s enough and; ‘Straight
Jacket’, which describes an edgy day waiting for final judgement in
life, in love, in court, in Wellington. Black
Wings pick over the carrion of human existence and present their
set with a caution that it might not always be pleasant listening. The
song subjects of lost love, heartbreak and death in the bands material
suggests a gloomy, introspective vibe. Nothing could be further from the
truth. Black Wings are all about freedom
and happiness and the prospect of a better life after getting through
the shit you have to go through to get to where you're going on the other
side.
