Maltese rock fans have a new track to nod their heads to while on the road, thanks to local alt-rock band WaterWings. The group has been recently dominating the airwaves with its new single Steal the Crown, launched last month.
Recorded and produced by Niki Gravino at Foreface Studios and featuring lyrics and original music contributed by all four band members, the song placed high on the local charts, based on the copious amount of airplay it was given in its debut week.
As the band’s first single, Steal the Crown speaks volumes about the eclectic mix of musical influences which have collectively shaped the end result of WaterWings’s efforts.
The gritty rock sound blends harmoniously with a catchy pop hook, extending the song’s appeal to a wider listener-base who tune in on local radio stations during their daily commute.
The band also released a music video which attracted over 5,000 views since it was published online.
The gritty rock sound blends harmoniously with a catchy pop hook
WaterWings is a relatively new band, whose origins can be traced back to roughly three years ago, when the four members attended the same school. Over the years, the band continued developing its style, gig by gig, waiting for the perfect moment to unleash their music onto the public.
The members are Marc Alan Spiteri on bass, keyboard and vocals, Ryan Bezzina on drums, Luca Baldacchino on guitars and René Camilleri on keyboards.
Despite their young age, this fresh-faced group of musicians has managed to create a distinc-tive sound whose roots can be found in a wide variety of musical inspirations spanning both rock and pop genres and which defies simple, straightforward classifi-cation. Their talent didn’t pass unnoticed, as veteran music producer Niki Gravino took the band under his wing and helped them polish their sound further at his studios prior to the release of their debut single.
Steal the Crown is available for download from the iTunes Store. In an admittedly fairly unusual move for local bands, WaterWings opted to release both their debut single and the accompanying music video at the same time, surprising music fans who attended the launch with an exclusive first-look of the visually striking production that features all four band members performing the song.
Commenting on the un-orthodox decision, the band made it clear that they are not inclined to follow the same beaten path that local bands typically take when planning the release of new material.
The band fuses elements from multiple genres to produce a single which appeals to both rock and pop fans alike. The band’s guitar-heavy, energetic peformance compares favourably with similar alt-rock bands populating the local music scene and manages to position WaterWings in a rather unique musical niche thanks to their blend of electronic and orchestral arrangements.
For my personal taste I did feel that the song begins repeating itself lyrically and melodically, a couple of minutes in.
Although, of course, I appreciate the concept of the ‘hook’ in popular music production, I’m not a huge fan of the technique being repeated too much. Nonetheless, kudos to the band if it’s an attempt to win over a bigger share of radio listeners. It may very well work for them.
The music video to Steal the Crown was produced by Neomax Productions under the direction of Carlo Tonna de Lorenzo.
The high-quality and visually impressive production stars the band members as they per-form their track as model Valentina Rossi, in the guise of a thief, tries to escape with the titular crown and deliver it safely to the band.
After the heist is carried out, the video takes an unexpected turn as it segues into a high-octane car chase featuring drift stunts.
The four piece admitted that they aimed to cause a stir with their first music video by creating a lavish production which complemented the song’s intensity and made a lasting impression on viewers.
Luxury cars, recognisable Maltese scenery and expensive-looking production have all contributed to making this video quite a hit.
However, despite the band’s best intentions, the high standard of cinematography and the stunt work that went into the making of this music video, I feel that an otherwise impressive production was cheapened by using a crown that seems to have belong on the shelves of a tacky toy shop.
Riding high on the crest of the first single’s success, WaterWings has immediately set to work on recording new material and plan to release the first album next year, while continuing to perform gigs.
The band is promising, make no mistake and, in a few gigs’ time, I’m confident they’ll continue to define their sound further, find their feet, and perhaps become a force to be reckoned with.
www.waterwings.eu