All in a Name by Daisychain–Album Review
All in a Name by Daisychain–Album Review
Straight out of the City of Big Shoulders—Chicago—psych rock trio Daisychain come out firing on all cylinders with their debut album, All in a Name. Comprised of Nickole Regala on bass and vocals, Frankie Sripada on lead guitar, and Sophie Williams on rhythm guitar and vocals, the trio pull their influences from a wide variety of sources, including ’90s alternative, ’70s classic rock, stoner rock, and punk. To this recipe, they add the sweet and sometimes spectral harmonies of Regala and Williams, the diverse styles and varied tones of Sripada’s playing, and a dash of both modern and classic flourishes of psychedelia. Their aptitude in a variety of styles and moods makes All in a Name a promising introduction to the band.
Lyrically, Daisychain runs the gamut from darkly introspective and poetic to fiercely honest yet vulnerable. This approach is evident in the first two singles from the album: “Waste Your Time” and “Rivers.” “Waste Your Time” puts unrequited love in the spotlight to a sweet indie pop melody, as Regala leisurely croons, “In my mind, I keep you buried alive now, for my entertainment,” before telling the subject, “I wanna waste your time, I wanna waste you.” It’s a refreshing twist on the typical pining often found in songs of this lyrical nature, wrapped in a breezy, warm tune perfect for a summer road trip.
“Rivers,” on the other hand, is heavy and plodding, flowing steadily along like its title suggests. A hypnotic, droning bassline grounds the song, while the bluesy, Zeppelin-esque leads of Sripada offer a kind of call and response to Williams’ deep, husky vocal. She says of the lyrics: “It describes the static energy you feel when you say one thing, but the words you really want to say hang in the air around you.” Lines like “We don’t speak, words don’t come, no, seas between us, rivers that run on” bear this out. Again, the songwriters have taken something universally relatable and offered another way of looking at it—as all the best mind-altering music should do.
The remainder of the album offers further evidence of the band’s ability to genre-hop while still sounding distinctly themselves. There are the more fun, pop-leaning sounds—paired with subtly and not-so-subtly subversive lyrics—of “G String” and “Get High with Me.” “Eve” presents the lyrical point of view of its biblical namesake, backed by a Jane’s Addiction–like guitar intro and punk-sounding verses. And the album’s closer, “Kerosene Lover,” dynamically shifts back and forth between haunting harmonies in its lullaby-style beginning to a Kill Bill–esque siren and a crunchy, fuzzed-out guitar breakdown.
Vicki Holda
Offering musical and songwriting ability that reflects a fearlessness to try anything and everything that floats through their transom, Daisychain has released an excellent debut that lays the foundation for what feels like great things to come.
Website | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok | Bandcamp | Soundcloud | Facebook
Gallery
Recent Articles
