The term ‘female fronted rock band’ can often carry some baggage, and in such a heavily male dominated industry such as Rock ‘n’ Roll, it is often difficult to find a female fronted band with, well, the ‘balls’ to tough it out. But every-so-often, one of these bands jumps on to the scene and genuinely possesses the ‘right stuff’ to make a name for themselves – and you know they’re in it to win it.
With that being said, The Material are a force to be reckoned with.
A Southern Californian quintet, The Material are still relatively unknown, however this is rapidly changing. Their highly anticipated second full length studio album, Everything I Want To Say (EIWTS) will no doubt infiltrate the headphones of thousands across the globe. It is a powerful followup record that far exceeds the perfection of its predecessor, What We Are (2010) and a wonderful display of rock at its finest .
With an abundance of daring and dynamic combinations of the highest calibre, drummer Kevin Pintado carries the whole album with ultimate perfection from beginning to end and the combined efforts of Jon Moreaux, Roi Elam and Jordan Meckley (guitars and bass) up the ante from the last record and truly give the album an enormous, anthemic sound. But it is the vocal abilities of Colleen D’Agostino that again, leave me suffering a mild myocardial infarction with every listen. With some of the grittiest, guttural and most glorious pipes of any woman in the rock industry, it is my sincerest opinion when I say she has to be one of the best voices to emerge in the past decade.
Writing their own material of love, loss, betrayal and faith, The Material manage to hook you, pull you in and leave you listening intently. Tracks such as ‘Life Vest’, ‘Bottles’, ‘Skin and Bones’ and ‘Gasoline’ all showcase the bands ability to add edge, power and passion into every stroke, every chord and every note – a true artistic reflection of a rock band at heart. For the first time, the band have incorporated a small, entirely piano interlude to the album, entitled ‘The Great Unknown’ which beautifully leads in to the track, ‘Love Me Or Leave Me’ – a new move which works wonderfully. Perhaps the most impressive track of EIWTS however, is ‘Born To Make A Sound’, a song of optimism, self-worth and empowerment – but most impressive of all, is the vocal showcase put on display. The breakdown is perhaps the heaviest D’Agostino has delved and the sheer intensity of the accompanying instruments makes it one of the best tracks The Material have released to date – hopefully a contender for an eventual single release.
As a fan for a few years now, I can wholeheartedly say I am in love with Everything I Want To Say. A few years between albums can on occasion be a damaging decision, however in the case of The Material, Everything I Want To Say has far surpassed my wildest expectations and has made the three year wait totally worth it. I urge everyone to give these guys a go and to keep an eye out for them in the future – big things ahead, no doubt.
The Material Music, Inc.
9.5/10
Reviewer: Ashlee Kellehear