Hyde & Beast - Hard Times Good Times EP
- Written by Zoe Wallbank
Hyde & Beast’s latest EP lives up to the hippy like reputation the band have built up, with acoustic beats accompanied by the tambourine, the whole EP has a ‘70s hippy feel to it, with smoothing vocals and honest lyrics to back it up.
The opening track ‘Hard Times Good Times’ is engaging and intriguing with a heavy guitar and trumpet melody, an unusual combination, but one that works well to create the ‘70s nostalgic vibe. The melody is very “loud”, giving the impression that for this particular track the lyrics were there to support the melody, not the other way around which is most common. It’s a good and engaging technique that sets the tone of the EP and band well.
In contrast, ‘Everything You Want’ is a more lyric led track, with lyrics such as: “When we were together / You would leave me every night” but with an upbeat melody creating more of a “better off without them” message than a sad one.
In addition, there aren’t any “sad” tracks on the EP, which both ‘Never Get To Heaven’ and ‘Get Up’ have the potential to be. ‘Never Get To Heaven’ has an overall message of never leaving your loved one’s side; and ‘Get Up’ containing lyrics like “Everyone knows you’ve been dancing around” but with a tambourine/guitar melody that makes the listener want to get up and dance.
Overall, it’s a brilliant EP that has the potential to be a big success in a time so obsessed with nostalgia and particularly hippy lifestyles.
Hard Times Good Times EP is available from Amazon and iTunes.