Cyprus-based alternative rock group The Smallest Creature has just released their single, “Reboot.” And just to be clear, they’re not from the ‘90s. Yet their music somehow has a distant feel, as if coming to you from afar. No single musical element overwhelms the song; instead, all musical components of the band blend symbiotically and harmoniously. The quality of the sound isn’t quite as clear as you hear in Pop and Indie genres, either. Rather than placing emphasis on the vocals, the vocalist seems to be on par with the musical accompaniment. Neither one takes center stage initially and there’s no competition between the two, you simply take it in as a whole.
The retro quality to their music also comes in part because of how the quality of the sound is somehow distorted, almost like it’s coming through a speaker or PA — but in a good way. Once the chorus begins, it’s a somewhat sudden departure from the initial part of the song — with different-sounding vocals, a renewed intensity, and an echoey quality that is almost like a different song. Suddenly the vocalist is overpowering the music somewhat, but there is still no feeling of discord or true rupture.
Part of what you can appreciate in “Reboot” is how they’re reminiscent of some of the quintessential rock you’d hear in the ‘90s. You can relax to this type of music or be invigorated by it, letting it play in the background as you do work and/or relax, or you can just as easily let it be the focal point. Either way, it’s something you’ll enjoy and benefit from hearing.
