In our Indie Spotlight this week is the newest release from garage rockers Eastern Sidekick.
Eastern Sidekick are formed of vocalist Juhwan Oh, guitarists Hankyul Ko and Inhyuk Ryu, Sanghwan Bae on bass, and drummer Geunchang Park. Their new album, Total Reflection, and its title track Digger come two years after their EP Hammer Lane – and it is worth the wait.
Total Reflection is a ten track album that looks at human reality for what it really is, a reflexion of ones self but not necessarily the truth. It also serves as a rejection of the pressures and rules of society to be a Total Reflection of the group.
Title track Digger showcases Eastern Sidekick well. It feels rough around the edges, with a hint of that monotony you find in many of the greatest tracks to come from the generation of gravelly voiced, grunge musicians.
Though this sound isn’t just a throwback to the likes of Nirvana, it’s purposeful, reflecting the monotony of life, the repetitive cycles of working day in day out – doing so just like a digger, who only digs because he is a digger.
Digger comes with a music video directed by Yunik Song, featuring propaganda poster style graphics, and plenty of grungy performance shots.
Other album highlights include track 2 Dirty Weather and track 9 Total Reflection.
The group are gearing up to play tonnes of shows, their first on December 11th at V Hall in Hongdae. If you’re in Korea you can purchase tickets via Interpark.
Total Reflection is currently available via Bandcamp and Bainil – with an iTunes download coming soon.
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