Loud-ass guitars, anthemic chanting, bass and rumbling drums; throw all the into a blender and that’s what you get with Powerslide’s latest release ‘Cheshire Grin’.
A raw guitar snarl starts off the track and sets the pace for the rest of what’s to come. Powerslide go hard on this angst-ridden gem and they instantly draw in the listener with the rhythmic chant “Turn that shit up!”. Despite the simple 4/4 four chord approach that is part and parcel of punk rock, Willy’s guitar work does not become monotonous and keeps you hooked and head-banging from start to finish.
Stylistically, in comparison to their previous release ‘The Keed’, ‘Cheshire Grin’ takes a more hardcore route and embodies the punk spirit through the lyrics. The song isn’t just ‘punk’ because of its genre, what makes it punk is the stance of the song and the fact that you can quite literally feel and hear the attitude reverberate throughout the song. The song ends with a playful guitar riff that somewhat contrasts the rest of the song, but very much adds to the angst evoked by the song.
Vocalist and guitarist Willy previously stated that he wrote he song because his life was falling apart. In a way that manages to infiltrate into the song as it gives the listener a sense of yearning to “turn that shit up” and just jam. Personally, I felt like breaking some shit when I heard this.
Powerslide are in the studio currently working on their much-awaited debut album. Despite being one of youngest bands in the Kenyan rock scene, these three lads have gone on to cement their place within Nairobi’s vibrant and passionate underground scene.
By. Djae Aroni
