Careful Climb. Slow Worries

Slow Worries is a band from Amsterdam, releasing its first album. The foursome, Maaike Muntinga (vocals), Liú Mottes (guitar), Nora Uitterlinden (drums) & Gijs Loots (baritone guitar), released an EP in 2016 and went back to the different bands they all play in as well. In 2020 the time came to reunite and to release that first album and it cooks up a storm.

If anything The Netherlands has a new Bettie Serveert. I can't escape the likeness between the two bands. The ways Muntinga sings, Mottes' guitar that is all over the alternative rock songs and the tight rhythm section completing it all. Is that a bad thing? No, far from. Being compared to Bettie Serveert is one of the biggest compliments alternative rock bands can receive in our country, in my book.

Listening to Careful Climb, it is the energy blast that gets to me first. The band pushes in the pedal and does not take it off the metal until the final note has sounded out. The only way forward is going there fast for Slow Worries. That does come with a warning, Careful Climb is not an album for all moments of the day. At some points in the day it simply is too much of a good thing. In all the others, it is like the sun coming out on a grey day.

Within that burst of energy there is enough to set songs apart individually. Single 'When We Go Out' e.g. is more open, where other songs play full out for 100%. Slipping in some dynamics makes Careful Climb breath at the right times. By slipping in a more poppy vocal melody here and there, the tone of the album becomes more varied as well. It all adds to the quality it contains within it.

If anything, Slow Worries really goes for it. The band clearly realises that this is the chance to make an impression on the world with this record. There's nothing holding them back to give it their all. The fun of playing shines through regularly as well. Just listen how they really torch 'Burn'. A song so very much alive, it makes me glow.

It is easy to confront Slow Worries with the fact the music is not original. For that the songs on its debut album are too familiar in sound. Ask them and they will probably admit it themselves, I'd guess. The more important criterium is the quality of what is on offer. This is more than alright. Careful Climb is an album full of energy and a will to score and make a lasting impression. In that it fully succeeds and perhaps a little more. That time will tell, for now the album rocks and that is what counts in my book foremost.

Wo.

You can listen to and order Careful Climb here:

https://slowworries.bandcamp.com/

 

or listen to our Spotify Playlist to find out what we are writing about:

https://open.spotify.com/user/glazu53/playlist/6R9FgPd2btrMuMaIrYeCh6?si=KI6LzLaAS5K-wsez5oSO2g