Falsely Accused are a rock trio from the greater Boston and New England area who comprise of drummer Mike Azzolino; bassist and vocalist Matt Tavano; and guitarist Mark Young. Their style encompasses the energy of vintage and modern rock bands from Led Zeppelin to The Black Keys. They release a five track EP `Unbroken` this month which is the follow up to their 2021 debut album `Compression`.
This extended play opens with `A Drink Before The War` whose title was inspired by the Dennis Lehane novel and is a love-letter to Matt Tavano`s wife about life’s shared battles, and how a couple, in good times and bad, must come together to face the adversity that lurks around every corner. It`s a pretty blistering anthemic rock out which has a brief time out on route and is a real marker for what`s to follow. We have in `Castaway` a number about feeling stuck, either mentally or physically, and trying to get home at a time when getting home feels impossible. A slow to midtempo thoughtful and introspective musing with short unassuming but absorbing guitar solos around the halfway mark and beyond.
There`s a bit of a stoner come mesmerising desert rock vibe to `Witches` which details the singer`s personal experience with a road rage incident that nearly turned violent. We enjoy a dreamy contemplative offering with `Drifting` a song in praise of deep family ties whose devotion ensures that desire to return home is never extinguished. I loved the percussive element that ran throughout the entirety of this submission.
The final cut comes with `Soul Crush` which I read was a metaphorical journey of human relationships and universal themes. A hypnotic psychedelic tinged composition which grows as if an acorn into a giant Oak during its four hundred and thirty seconds of life.
`Unbroken` allows us a flavour of where Falsely Accused are at this present time and it sounds like a great place to be. This twenty minute taster has certainly whetted my appetite for what`s hopefully on the horizon.
Rating 8.5/10
