Bristol based, dirty-rock, band The DLX are back with new single “Feel My Soul”. The track is their first in 2020 and signals a more mature and original sound than before. It’s a typical British indie-rock song, with a classic DLX grunge-like feel running throughout.
Band: The DLX
Track: Feel My Soul
Time: 3:35 minutes
For fans of: Dirty Laces, Rival Bones, The Enemy
H2N Rating 70/100
Being completely honest, before I had a message in my Twitter inbox from Bristol’s The DLX, I hadn’t come across their music. Now I do listen to everything that pops into that inbox, and again being honest, 80% of it isn’t great; not bad, just not great so it always makes me smile a bit when I click play and I instantly fall in love with a sound, with a track, with a band. That’s exactly what happened when I clicked play for the first time on Feel My Soul, the new release from the band.
Whilst this is a review of their new release, it’s worth noting that 7 days ago I’d never heard of the band or their music; now I could sing you every lyric of G.H.S and How Ya Feelin’. Feel My Soul gave me a taste that I liked and I went and listened to the guys’ back catalogue to allow this review to be reflective of the work they’ve put out to date, and I’m thrilled to say it’s very very good.
The track starts at 100mph with a killer bass riff before the indie rhythym guitars begin to flow. Hooked already. It’s a track that, if you just had shuffle on Spotify playing through your speakers, would make you look up, realise what you’re listening to and pay attention. There’s a “scuzziness” that’s missing from a lot of upcoming artists nowadays which I love. Think Dirty Laces-esque choruses with the loud vocals complemented by the backing guitars and singing. This is a track you can imagine chanting with the lads extremely loud in a festival tent and creating memories you’ll never forget.
It’s got the ring of 00s rock music, the likes of which NME used to promote. The Automatic, The Subways, The Bravery, all those epic bands that are forgotten, their sound lives on through The DLX.
Is it perfect? No, but music like this should feel raw, it should feel like there’s a few mistakes in it and I guarantee, on the live stage, Feel My Soul will get any room bouncing more than most tracks. At times it feels slightly rushed and the recording quality isn’t 10/10. For me, it isn’t a track that will make my end of year best track lists, but what it has done is open my eyes to this band – I genuinely believe they have something others don’t; there’s an attitude, a style that was once popular that needs to come back. Their next release could be the one that makes people look up and notice The DLX and I for one, will be the first person promoting that.
H2N Ranking Score
Originality: 13/20
Lyrics: 13/20
Complexity: 14/20
Catchiness: 17/20
Stadium Filler Rating: 13/20
The DLX – Photo Credit Sam Gould
Halfway 2 Nowhere 