Sounds Like a Storm have just delivered their striking new single, titled ‘Make it Better‘.
Their new track features gritty and earthy vocals from frontman Sennen Ludmand, providing a clear essence of who Sounds Like a Storm are. The lyrics sound as though they’re being shouted and screamed into a wide, empty room, desperate for a response. This feeling of isolation is further explored in the final line of the track, an almost indirect rhetorical statement to the audience: “You can make it better”.
The indie-rock band are originally from Yorkshire, but currently are based in Manchester, clearly sticking to their Northern roots. They have sold out headlining shows around Leeds and supported artists like VANT and The Blinders. Before the pandemic, Sounds Like a Storm had the opportunity to perform at festivals like Bingley Weekender, and play on the Radio 1 Stage at Reading & Leeds Festival.
Ludmand has shared his thoughts on the new release, stating that the track is about believing in something, and hoping that things will get better over time.
“At the time I wrote this song my dad was in hospital, I wrote this tune one night in the month of January, it came from nowhere. I suppose lyrically I am picturing things I love, this escapism from hospital wards and the trauma of what I was going through. The juxtapositions bounce in and out throughout the song, this feeling of isolation and loneliness felt unusual at the time, but now for everyone in the world through the pandemic has become almost second nature.”
The feelings of isolation and despair expressed in this single are something that we all as listeners can relate to. With the main guitar melody sounding somehow both clean and distorted, ‘Make it Better’ feels like a song you would hear on a 2000s Need For Speed soundtrack, The build up to the main chorus is definitely reminiscent of these soundtracks, with confident percussion and a driving main melody.
The emotional vocals and a central bass melody create a sense of camaraderie midway through the track. The change from the lead guitar to the bass taking hold of the main melody is a refreshing change. The domination of the bass for just a few lines feels like an emotional tug of war, as though the emergence of another instrument reflects our negative thought patterns: they’re usually just hidden in the mix, but sometimes break to the surface, impossible to ignore.
“But nothing really hurts like love does / Nothing feels as good as love”
Sounds Like a Storm know how to engage an audience quickly, with slick guitar riffs and lyrics that feel as though they’re representing your own life. These lads are clearly going to go far, and I can imagine their live sets are as distinctive and iconic as their recorded tracks.
