8/10
Norwich alt-rock quartet Chicanes emerge from the underground with Something Beautiful, a debut that wears its scars like armor and finds beauty in the wreckage. This isn't just another collection of songs—it's emotional archaeology, using volume and intensity to excavate feelings that can't be reached through gentler means.
Producer Adrian Bushby, whose golden touch has graced Foo Fighters and Muse, doesn't polish these songs so much as architect them. His production walks the knife's edge between crushing weight and crystalline clarity, never letting the sonic heft overshadow the emotional geography Chicanes are mapping.
The album's centerpiece, 'Fray', unfolds like a conversation with grief itself. Delicate verses whisper secrets in the dark before erupting into a shoegaze-drenched chorus that hits with the force of revelation. When the crushing outro arrives, it feels like the moment when everything held back finally breaks free. The song's genius lies in its architecture—those haunting opening moments create genuine intimacy, making the subsequent explosion feel both inevitable and devastating.
Across the album, Chicanes move between Royal Blood-esque anthems and sprawling atmospheric passages with rare confidence. Their sound skirts alt-metal territory while maintaining grunge's emotional directness, creating space for both crushing riffs and unexpected vulnerability. The melodic lead vocals serve as a guiding light through the sonic storm, preventing the weight from ever becoming overwhelming.
This is patient music, willing to take time to develop its ideas and trust its audience to follow along. The band's claim of pursuing "deeper storytelling" proves accurate—these songs feel lived-in, worn smooth by experience and weighted with meaning. They capture the kinetic energy of Chicanes' live reputation without sacrificing studio sophistication.
In an era obsessed with instant gratification, 'Something Beautiful' stands as a quietly defiant statement. Chicanes have created something that feels both immediate and enduring—an album that announces their arrival while suggesting they're just getting started. The Norwich music scene has produced something genuinely special here, revealing artists who understand that true impact comes not from volume alone, but from the courage to mean something.
Check out the album below
