Rhyn are a band from Buckingham made up of four men with khaki shirts and Dad jeans: on first impressions, not very exciting. Their music tells a different story, however, and proves that age old adage, never judge a book by its cover. A lengthy EP by normal standards, the six tracks of ‘Absence’ are a catalogue of alt-rock tricks and interesting melodies. It’s a great effort, but lacking that magical something that would make you fall in love with them.
With a middle eight that goes from wavey, dreamy, flowing guitars to ferocious, crashing drums, accompanied by the belting out of lead singer Chris Black, opener ‘Elegy’ is a classic rock track with a twist. During their best moments, the band sound like cult favourites Reuben, just a little softer round the edges.
Following, the contrasting ‘Fall Away’ has a far mellower sound; a softer, simpler effort, suitable for family friendly head-bobbing. Although the band describes themselves as influenced by Biffy Clyro, the pop tendencies and intricate song patterns aren’t recognised here, replaced with heavier rock elements and strong, British vocals. Deep and soulful, the singing even gets a little Depeche Mode-esque on ‘Victory’.
‘The Only Edge’ is driven by pounding drums and glimmering piano, creating a heavy sound with contrasting classical elements. Final track ‘Believe In Ghosts’ continues the piano, with an acoustic guitar to crank up the emotion levels. It’s not as fun as some of the rockier instants on the EP, but is a gentle, accessible way to round off an otherwise noisy record.
At times, Rhyn create some magical moments of, interesting alternative rock music. On the other hand, the songs sometimes fall just a liiiiiittle bit flat of their potential. We’ll leave this one up to you.
KATHRYN BLACK