Moments of sombre a capella ease you into introductory, ‘Better Each Day,’ before Nobro storm their way through with exhilarating riffs, penetrative harmonies, and infectious melodies – this is Live Your Truth Shred Some Gnar.
Two years since their lockdown project, Sick Hustle (which saw the group squeeze in annihilating riffs, protruding bass wobbles and a whole lot of angst across 4 cutting-edge tunes), Live Your Truth Shred Some Gnar sees Nobro showcase a lengthier project, with buoyant melodies and psychedelic tendencies.
Standing at just over three minutes in length, ‘Better Each Day,’ is an eventful introductory track, layered with punching spoken word, mumbled ad libs, and addictive melodies. Across this track, Nobro pack this single to the brim with colourful vocals and carry it off with even more adrenaline-driven guitar work. It’s a journey, to say the least.
Following that up with the guitar-heavy ‘Julia’, already, in just the first two tracks, Live Your Truth Shred Some Gnar, is a much more gleeful and diverse project than their last. Whilst Sick Hustle saw the band unleash their frustrations during the peak of a global pandemic scare, Live Your Truth Shred Some Gnar is a new chapter, with a mixture of doomful and hopeful tracks as they paint their self-motivated feminist triumphs, from the boastful ‘Eat Slay Chardonnay’ to their introspectively gloomy following track, ‘Not Myself’.
Album standout is third track ‘Eat Slay Chardonnay’. It’s the girl-boss manifesto we should all be following. Across this track Nobro chaotically chant your new mantra with flying riffs, and addictive coos. ‘Eat Slay Chardonnay’ is completely addictive and brings Nobro’s unapologetic attitude to life.
A playful collection of seven gritty tunes, Live Your Truth Shred Some Gnar sees Nobro encourage the importance of acknowledging your own self-worth and settling for nothing less. Frontwoman Kathryn McCaughey’s raw vocals boisterously direct the groups punching bass wobbles and riddling riffs.
The album is completed by acoustic finale, ‘Life is A Voyage’. This track perfectly wraps up the EP with a very fitting title as Nobro guide you through the EP with self-righteous rock and roll tunes soaked in Technicolored psychedelia. Produced by Thomas D’Arcy (July Talk, The Sheepdogs, Yukon Blonde), and mixed by Dave Schiffman (Adele, Charli XCX, System Of A Down), Nobro have gone above and beyond for the making of this project. Despite the music industry’s hiatus across 2020-2021, Nobro signed to esteemed label Big Scary Monsters (American Football, Honey Lung, Jamie Lenom) in January 2020. It’s fair to say the last two years have been a rollercoaster for the group, but an ascending journey across their career, nonetheless. The acoustic ballad, ‘Life is A Voyage’ is the perfect end to a story of full-pelt mania.
