Champagne is the debut album from Irish alt-rockers Sick Love. Influenced by Paramore, Blondie, No Doubt and poppier icons such as MARINA, the quartet boast a sound that hits harder than your average Emo-tinged Punk record but comes with a hint of groove that makes you want to return to it over and over.
What began initially in 2020 but was scrapped due to a certain global pandemic, Champagne wastes no time in introducing itself. ‘Sucka’ batters the door down with a filthy set of guitars that screech and hammer at the skull, filling the ears with noise as it delivers a confident performance that leaves you frozen in awe. Its distorted riffs and thunderous drumming are capable of destroying the tallest of buildings and makes for a mammoth opening track. What an introduction.
It leads nicely into ‘Ricochet’, which swings into frame with its basslines and guitars laying down an off-kilter rhythm that blooms into another anthemic performance. ‘Holly’ follows with further confirmation that Sick Love know how to write a riff, as it brings more of that animated distortion into another twisted love song. Sounding almost like their version of Lauran Hibberd’s ‘Mary’.
Latest single ‘Don’t Wait’ aims for the Pop-Punk fans as its palm-muted guitars and breathy vocals lead us into a more atmospheric tune that could turn the heads of many – even with the admission of spitting up blood in amongst it all. But it’s ‘Jacknife’ that warrants the spilling of blood, with a riff that sounds downright nasty.
As much as we can rave about the riffs and instrumentals on Champagne, there’s also some serious moments included on the record. ‘Chill For The Summer’ is a song that will stick with you, as it takes on the subject of sexual assault against women unapologetically. While the instrumental remains largely muted throughout a lot of it, the vocals remain strongly at the forefront here. Rebecca Geary’s almost-spoken word delivery and stark lyricism adds a sobering edge to the album and a real depth and seriousness to it.
Sick Love have emerged from nowhere to deliver one of the best albums of the year. Champagne is a real celebration of what a good set of riffs and a lot of enthusiasm can get you. Hitting hard in a number of ways, while also sounding extremely catchy in parts too. It wears its influences on its sleeves and uses them to produce something enthralling from start to finish. Easily one of my favourite albums of the year.