Words by: Verity Hesketh
Left Hand Side is the second single dropped by The Kaizens in the last month. It’s another track that shows the band’s willingness to challenge their boundaries, whilst keeping the first signs of an identifiable signature. Think Foo Fighters, White Stripes, and Royal Blood for similar sound.
As with their last single release French Kiss, this is a piece that overtakes and surpasses the space it’s played in. Volume, and lots of it, is required to fully enjoy the heady palpitations. It refuses to be a background piece.
Left Hand Side ramps from first, to second and then precipitously into fifth gear with a rush of guitar, drums and keys. Once Tom Bushin’s vocals kick in, so does momentum, and with it, adrenaline. Amongst the glorious tumult, there is some kind of order – like the pull of a sea swell in a storm, it’s impossible to escape. This sound is definitely heavier than previous releases from the band, yet reveals a vulnerability, shown in the chorus, “When it gets ugly running from your life/Don’t look back into the night”.
Tom Bushin has a distinctive voice that perfects the style the band have begun to carve for themselves. However, his powerful vocal range is sometimes swallowed up in favour of the muscular guitars and exhilarating drums. At present, the band are facing a finely poised struggle between vocal harmony, and fierce guitar riffs.
The Kaizens are a technically proficient group who will no doubt shred through these tracks during live performances with serious verve and intense energy. I’m looking forward to The Kaizens continuing to experiment. But don’t tease us for too long, boys – there’s call for an album.
‘Left Hand Side’ is out now available on all streaming platforms.
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