Bottle Note - First Words

Bottle Note

First Words
self-released; 2016

3.4 out of 5

By Jamie Funk

Ross Gordon (vocals), Joe Mcdonald (guitar), Jake Charleston (drums) and Andrew Smith (bass) are Bottle Note. The band recently released First Words, which is a five-song EP. They play fairly straightforward rock/alternative music that shows some potential.

The production and recording quality is about demo quality. Suffice it to say that the songs would have been a bit more impactful if the songs sounded as if they were recorded in a professional studio. That being said you still get a basic idea of what the band can deliver. 

Things get going with “Youthful Folly” which is a rocking song where the music sounds similar to The Strokes and the singing is hushed. I couldn’t make out the lyrics, especially when the cymbals come in but I enjoyed the aesthetics of Gordon’s voice. It’s a catchy song but also quite predictable.

The lead guitar on “Ghost” takes advantage of an octave pedal, which is used with some success. There are definitely some creative moments on this song between the hard rock chorus and ominous sounding verse. Gordon repeats the line “I find myself alone” on the chorus. 

“Desperado” is a brighter more optimistic sounding song with impressive lead guitar while “Great Company” is arguably the highlight and has a slight Jesus and Mary Chain vibe. The closer “Last Words” has some solid moments and the penetrating lead felt like the focal point of this song.

​First Words sounds as if you are listening to the band rehearse their songs. They do have some talent but they still have their work cut out for them if they hope to compete with the more inventive rock in the underground today. I would argue that even more important is to try and get a boost in the record quality next time around. The visceral impact would have unequivocally been more noticeable. I would say the band is off to a solid start but falls into a category of wait and see.

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