The Sidekicks have strayed away from their roots over time. Perhaps it’s maturity, or just sub-concious evolution from a slightly gritty melodic-punk to a more airy, harmonised indie sound. Their change in sound doesn’t need to be questioned, but ‘Runners In The Nerved World’ does have its highlights – unfortunately it ends up feeling underwhelming.
This isn’t punk rock, firstly. A wide ranging genre it may be, there’s nothing too forceful and outspoken about The Sidekicks. Without arguing semantics, there are throwbacks here towards 90’s alternative rock and modern indie music – fans of Joyce Manor may well see eye to eye with this record however.
‘Hell Is Warm’ feels like an awkward opening. It’s a slow-burning introduction but it ends up being one of the less engrossing tracks on the album, never really capitalising on its strong chorus and build-up. ‘Everything In Twos’ would be a better introduction, managing to be pacey and upbeat and never threatening to drag on.
Lines like “The kid who broke his wrist couldn’t use it to make a fist” are chilling against the backdrop of reverberating guitars and perfectly harmonised vocals. It’s subtle but on close inspection The Sidekicks can evoke swathes of emotion disguised as the most straightforward of throwback-emo hooks. Take ‘Pet’, ‘Jesus Christ Supermalls’ and ‘The Kid Who Broke His Wrist’ as examples of this.
When The Sidekicks show a more forceful side compared to the commonly used jangly guitars and harmonising, their sound cries out for some more purpose. ‘Blissful, MI’ is one of a few tracks that needs to be weightier, and it seems that even when The Sidekicks verge on something infectious, it falls flat. They need a deeper bass, more percussive drums or some other element which anchors their sound and provides emphasis to some really emotive writing.
Perhaps it’s not the song-writing but the production which makes this record drag on, then. ‘Runners In The Nerved World’ finishes with a whimper, with ‘Satellite Words and Me’ and ‘Spinning Seat’ leaving no lasting impression. From the highs of the first half of the album it really does decline which is a shame because The Sidekicks do show moments of brilliance – just not that many.
SAMARTH KANAL