Source: Album Artwork
London-based quartet Amaryllis (pronounced as you’d expect, surprisingly) have been creating a buzz in the pop rock community for most of 2016. As a testament to this, Amaryllis sold out their headline show at London’s The Garage before their debut album Nova Initium had even been released. Nova Initium is a valiant attempt at pushing boundaries, creating an identity, and is an example of a young band finding its feet.
The album kicks off with ‘Thorn’—a gritty, thematic track. Guitarist Alex Whiteford dominates the instrumentals, opening up Nova Initium with an impressive solo. Amaryllis’ sound is immediately reminiscent of old-school You Me At Six—overwhelmingly so in ‘Thorn’ and ‘Basement.’ Both tracks are crammed with clever hooks, riffs, and a lyrical flair which unmistakably contributed to the band’s early success.
Lyrically, ‘All We Have’ is the standout track. “One day our lives will be a flash before our eyes, inside the frame is where our memories won’t die” declares vocalist Sante Moonie in this powerful track about taking chances. ‘All We Have’ is another song driven by emotion. The result is a raw, aggressively honest sound.
‘All We Have’ might have strong lyrics, but the production is very stunted. Whether it was a stylistic move or not, there’s something about it’s instrumental’s that don’t quite gel. The result is an extremely unpolished track, but considering the band’s age, Amaryllis can’t be faulted for their ambition.
The band has been described as emitting “an unorthodox guitar style”—a claim backed countless times throughout the record. their instrumentation is ambitious and mostly very impressive. But in parts—particularly during ‘Drown’ and ‘Thorn’—Moonie’s vocals struggle to make an impression above the heavy guitar riffs. It might be that this can again be put down to production flaws.
Nova Initium smoothly transitions from one track to the next, injected with lyrical themes typical of a debut: identity, courage, and fear. Amaryllis have already established a sound which is their own, mixing soft vocals with harsher, abstract instrumentals. ‘All We Have’, ‘Drown’, and ‘Thorn’ boast pop rock hooks destined for supporting the likes of All Time Low.
Ultimately, the band has avoided the curse of mindless predictability and created a sound with the potential to be something unique. But like any other debut, Nova Initium has its flaws. The band has found their niche and stuck to it—fluidity, instrumentation, and lyrical depth are skills that will develop as Amaryllis grow. Nova Initium is an impressive start, let’s see what they’ve got for us next time.
