Coventry quartet Candid have been slowly building a following, somewhat under the radar, for over five years now. They have released a stream of singles over this period, with each track packing exciting elements of Indie Rock favourites. From the confident Kings Of Leon esc landscape of their 2016 debut 'Moving On' to the Kooks like harmonies of 2019's 'Concrete Jungle' they have always displayed a songwriting maturity. There's always a great balance between the crisp vocal delivery and the overlapping instrumental melodies that results in a really full sound. Unlike many new bands they showed this ability from the start, yet their new single 'Wasted Time' has sprung them into a new dimension.
The artwork for the single is the band's first non black and white cover and, with this, symbolises the new direction that the single has taken them. Although their previous releases have not been dull by any stretch of the imagination, the new track has injected an extra dose of colour into their Indie bedrock. The Blossoms esc synth melody steals the show with its infectiously uplifting tone. When the chorus hits, the instrumentation jumps into springboard the big synth and create a euphoric dance inducing concoction. The drums in particular are aggressive and punchy without dominating and really give the track a lift.
Although the new synth input has really shot their sound up a gear it can often be easy to pigeon hole these euphoric synth driven singles and ignore the more subtle elements and this track has many. Most notably is the funky disco guitar line in the verses that combines with the rich piano chords to give a nice blend of carefree fun and a deeper thoughtfulness. The vocals too are as effective as ever. The band describe their vocals as simultaneously crisp and smooth and, to be honest that is exactly how they land, always teetering on the edge of a calm technicality and a gritter angst.
This single is a huge new step for Candid and we can only hope they push on with this vibrant output.
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