Screwface
Midlands based Nix Dadry has released a five track EP as a follow up to his 2018 album Magic Water. Magic Water was a very blues rock heavy album, it really is something quite special and definitely worth a listen, but Screwface is all of that and then some.
The EP features Nix on vocals and guitars and long-time friend and collaborator Dan Willett, who not only played bass on the EP, but he also mixed and engineered it.
Opening with the title track, ‘Screwface’, we are presented with a wall of guitar sound. Long sustained chords, with a running bass line. Nix’s vocals come in, a fantastic voice and a great rock vocalist. His voice possesses just the right amount of grit and as he hits the higher notes, it has a real nice tone to it. Screwface is a great track, I love the long sustained guitar, it really adds a dirty edgy feel to the track! It almost feels American when you listen, with Nix’s higher register resembling the quality and tone of Avenged Sevenfold’s frontman, M Shadows.
A change of direction comes in the form of the next track. ‘Station Street East’ is cool and funky. Opening with an energetic horn section that come in and out of the track periodically. This is a really refreshing track and it makes you sit up and listen! More funk guitar is up next with ‘Disco Dancin Vampire’. A song that could have come straight from the seventies. It’s a great mix of funk, but it still holds onto that rock sensibility. Mid way through a grungey guitar solo comes in and it really does just grab you. It would be so easy to stay in the grunge territory, but Nix returns to the funk sound he started the track with.
‘Istanbul’ feels more classic rock. What a killer guitar riff too. The track is great and has a real sing along and appealing feel. This is the kind of song that is in danger of becoming main stream and smacking a modern contemporary audience in the face. This could convert all those Lewis Capaldi and Ed Sheeran fans. It’s got a real universal appeal about it. This really could bring the spotlight and light up the underground rock scene!
The final track is a real mellow effort. It begins with just drums, vocals and acoustic guitar, and even in the big chorus, it is still really chilled. What a great way to bring this EP to a close.
Upon finishing the mastering of this EP, Pete Maher, who has worked with acts such as The Rolling Stones, U2 and The Killers, said it was full of ‘Passionate song writing, delivered with heavy weight power and groove’ and this is a sentiment I would have to agree with. Despite only being five tracks long, Nix manages to get so much into those five songs and also he doesn’t just stick to classic rock and grunge. He dipped into other musical styles. His musical pallet was full, so to speak! Nix Dadry is definitely one to watch and I am very excited to hear what will come next. Watch this space.
