“In fusing their influences and their own musical quirks together, NERiMA have released something personal, expressive and entertaining for their fans and themselves.”
Indie group based in Toronto NERiMA have been providing their fans with an exciting sound oscillating between soft rock to punk rock, between early 00s alt to 20s alt. NERiMA were actually the first artists I ever reviewed on my blog, and it has been great to see them release another fabulous single ‘Amnesia’ this year as a follow up to their debut ‘Home’. It’s also been great to see them take their music to the next level – releasing an EP called ‘HAVE MORE FUN’ which shares their experiences together as a band.
‘All Afraid To Fall’, the first track on ‘HAVE MORE FUN’, puts forward a sense of passion heard in the intricacy of the instrumental and the flexibility of tone, pitch and emotion in lead singer Alexi’s voice. It feels reminiscent of the early 00s alt I mentioned previously. The quick tempo and enjambment of the song could be likened to Avril Lavigne. ‘All Afraid To Fall’ is more than just a strong start to the EP, and could potentially be a fan favourite (it’s definitely mine anyway).
A guitar intro heads our way, acquainting us with the second song ‘Through The Window’. This melody recounts the reality of losing your way in a complex relationship. The lyric ‘I can’t find my way home’ is not only an example of this, but a prefigurement of the fourth track and single ‘Home’. Moving on to the third tune, ‘Secret Love’ is noticeably more mellow in its sound, which is no surprise considering the suggestions of a more delicate topic we get from the title. The rock elements heighten at the chorus however, where a beautiful declaration of love takes place.
“The name HAVE MORE FUN comes from a specific day we spent together, but it also comes from every single time we’ve let loose and had fun,” said NERiMA regarding the meaning behind the EP’s title. They explained that that particular day also made them realise that they can be serious about their music whilst also having the fun they did. The band added, “Still, the EP is more emotional than the name suggests. We know our listeners are young and feel a lot of stuff like this, so we want to remind them that you can acknowledge these things in a way that doesn’t have to hurt or feel bad.”
Next up on the EP are the two singles; ‘Home’ and ‘Amnesia’. ‘Home’ shows aspects of NERiMA’s soft rock side, accompanied by a heart-warming message to those who are trying to leave a troubled place they call home. ‘Amnesia’ has a warm sense of nostalgia to it, emphasised by the transition from murmuring interludes to powerful choruses, as well as one of those compulsive tunes you wish you came up with yourself.
‘Better Yet’ finishes off ‘HAVE MORE FUN’ with an irresistible head bopping beat. The momentum before the chorus just escalates the energy even further. It would be an understatement to say I’m obsessed with the extravagant guitar bridge that I just know would be amazing performed live, also used to end the song and therefore the EP.
You can listen to ‘HAVE MORE FUN’ here: