Room1Fourteen, an alternative rock band working between England and Switzerland, released their debut EP Living In Dreams back in May this year. The EP is a journey infused with a wide range of rock genre influences.
The opening and eponymous track ‘Living In Dreams’ throws us into an atmosphere of mystery, entering the melancholic and often anxious world of our sub-consciousness. In this area of our mind, we meet a romantic interest. The influence they have over our narrator sends us into a power-chord bridge, in which the vocalist states “you take me higher / to places I’ve never been”. The chorus adopts the anthemic sound of a soft rock ballad.
Second track, ‘Out There’ introduces a more optimistic outlook. With use of synth, vocal effects throughout and a more acoustic verse, we see likeness to bands such as Oasis. Lyrics “I know life can be tough but there’s someone for you” are sang over an electric chorus, replicating the positivity of Cool Britannia that would be sang by huge stadium crowds.
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‘Just A Stranger’ shows a change in style. The creeping tempo warp the emotions created up until this stage into ones of accusation, as frontman William Mayos sings “I know a secret / about you”. The conversational vocals, paired with this sensation of disorientation, fits perfectly into a psychedelic genre. The song could arguably be a modern re-working of the atmosphere Pink Floyd achieved with first album The Piper At The Gates of Dawn. ‘Hello and Goodbye’ continues this story, as the narrator forces himself to “keep running”. The track is predominantly just guitar and percussion, immersing us in the feeling of being hopelessly alone. Half way through the track the guitar takes on a smooth, calming tone reminiscent of Latin-inspired rock.
Final track ‘All I Ever Wanted’ shows a sudden return back to optimism, with our narrator reminiscing of how “looking back, it seems so strange”. A fuzzy, nostalgic guitar solo begins to lead us out of our heads and back into reality, and we wake up to the calm statement of “you’re all I ever wanted, and more”.
A lyrical and musical drama, Living In Dreams is a fantastically creative debut release. Such thoughtful songwriting and talented musicians who are able to capture these feelings even further just through instrumentation, is a combination any group would desire. Room1Fourteen are definitely ones to watch.
Words by Natalie Franklin
@problemnatique