Artist: Egypt Central
Album: White Rabbit
Genre: Rock
Label: Fat Lady Music

White Rabbit beats to a thumping chart rock rhythm. It’s easily accessible and enjoyable, with some genuine treats to be savored, for all that its glimpses of promise sometimes pay the forfeit of predictability.

“Ghost Town” is a fabulous opening track. It uses a temperate guitar and piano to build momentum gradually, indulging in its collected swagger. The beat is sombre and intoxicating, the song unfolding with a jazzy, sultry tone. It chooses to be slow and in so doing, effective – besides, I’m a fan of anything that can include the decorative chime of bells. “White Rabbit,” the title track, has a similarly jazzy vibe, thumping coolly with a streetwise, worldly sense. Mixing brisk, thickly layered choruses with strikingly disparate verses, it leaps from a steady, constant rhythm to exhilarating speed, finishing as impressively as it began.

As good a time as ever for the token melancholy so, and “Goodnight,” with its weaving guitar, has obvious intent from the off. The chorus picks up the pace slightly but remains coloured with thick shades of remorse and sadness. The pitch of John Falls’ voice remains exactly the same mind, so the emotion doesn’t always ring true – this aside, musically, it’s assured and tight. The band add a nice bridge after the second chorus, mixing rhythmic percussion and trembling guitar notes to inject a touch more pizzazz. It’s worth noting at this point that the following track, “Kick Ass,” is to be avoided. It’s formulaic, dull, and repetitive, and sullies the good name the record’s been making. Skip straight on.

“Change” then is cut more from the straightforward American chart rock fold. For some reason, it reminds me slightly of Daughtry, but there’s a lot to be said for openly engaging guitar music. Here, the tranquil six string tempers some wavy vocals, while the drum rolls with aching philosophical musings of “carpe diem” to sweep in the chorus. It’s still a bit too generic to strike a resonant tone but it’s a decent listen. “The Drug (Part 1)” follows to sweep all the urgency that had gone missing back into the mix. It feels menacing straight away, opening with a nice angsty rush of heavy guitars. The verses are solid and catchy, well executed to a lyrical content aiming for a hard-hitting explanation of drug use. This is suitably intensified by the distorted screeching voice lingering somewhere in the background, and for all that it has a forced air to it, it certainly captures a sense of desperation.

“Enemy Inside (Part 2)” revisits this theme but from a more introspective, uncomfortable point of view. It’s heavy and yet pregnant with profound emotion. Accordingly, it takes a slow approach, brimming with saddened self-deprecation. As the song progresses, it’s layered quite nicely, some sweeping instrumentation drifting along to add nuance to the troubled subject matter.

Thereafter, “Blame” is another uninspired filler type. “Dying To Leave” is a bizarre creation altogether, its elaborate orchestral overture hinting at refinement to come, but in such a sudden and peculiar manner it’s difficult to know what to make of it. As the lyrics arrive however, the strings find their niche, acting as a more graceful backdrop for a chastened study in wanderlust. Indeed, it does gradually come together, growing into itself as each element melts into the others. It ends up working, if only just, by adding a touch of the exquisite to the mundane – sharpening the tone a little though the ending is too abrupt for something hoping to be so eloquent.

The album winds down with “Backfire,” an acoustic endeavor to offset the chugging rock. Setting a nice, tender tone, it captures a clearer voice and sense of sincerity than the other melodramatic types on the record, mainly due to its dextrous simplicity. It’s fragile and honest and makes for a beautiful element of reflection after the dynamism of the other tracks.

In summary, White Rabbit is an intriguing release, much like its title. It weaves elements of hardcore ballsiness with rather touching flourishes to create something stirring and wholesome. It could benefit from taking the high road instead of the template option on occasion, but for the most part it does what it aims for well and ought to make for exhilarating live performances. Well worth your time.

Score: 7/10
Review written by: Grace Duffy

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James Shotwell

James Shotwell is the founder of Under The Gun Review. He loves writing about music and movies almost as much as he loves his two fat cats. He's also the co-founder of Antique Records and the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. You should probably follow him on Twitter.

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