Manchester’s garage rockers Hey Bulldog have brought their latest body of work ‘523’ to the table and it’s a tune with some real promise.
I think the band are very close to absolutely nailing the whole garage rock sound they’re aiming for with this release. But at the same time this song needs a lot of work. As harsh as that comment sounds, the aspect of a garage sound is to record in a very DIY manner but still come out with a balanced sound. This sound just isn’t as balanced as it should be.
The cymbals sound a million miles into the back of the mix in places, the guitar is overpowering and there are layers underneath I’d like to hear more of. Take nothing away this song absolutely has a real drive to it and some great hooks that get caught in the ears beyond the first listen. It’s just the production which doesn’t do this song as much justice as I’d like it to. I do really feel like those vocals should be brought forward a lot more too to showcase the vocal ability on display. Which by the way is clearly quite a talent!
I’ll have to go and do a deeper dive into the discography of Hey Bulldog as I believe there to be a huge amount of talent within their songwriting, this song just doesn’t feel like it’s been given the correct attention it needs in places.
Written by Simon Stirzaker
