Review of SWEETS' second single 'Dead Ends'

After the Charm Offensive can SWEETS find new avenues to explore? Louis Bennett dives in.

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From the very moment it starts, the sophomore offering from the Limerick alternative-rock collective is unequivocally imperative in defining SWEETS’ signature components: a mean, intricate guitar riff shrouded in a sinister aura. SWEETS’ successful continuation of cementing their sound arrives following the critically revered debut that was Charm Offensive, a stirring, yet explosive introduction that would only go on to garner fairly hefty expectations for their future efforts.

Unsurprisingly, Dead Ends delivers; and, even at that, it delivers in the most violently dynamic fashion that an alternative rock track possibly can. Almost immediately, its industrially monolithic guitars are thrusted to the forefront, each riff dynamically diverging from the last with a uniquely animalistic agility, becoming increasingly addicting each time it shifts. Instrumentally, they are often grasping at all the best musical stylings that come from a post-hardcore soundscape, and then, ever so slightly contorting these aspects to represent the SWEETS moniker.

Although the vocal performance is quite evidently not what the group are trying to highlight here, Liam’s triumphant voice still thrives in injecting shards of ominous intent into their abrasively orchestrated sonic glory. It’s a vital factor in Dead Ends’ signature appeal, never once taking from those unrelenting, sticky riffs that are bombarded towards us throughout.

Like many of their grunge predecessors, SWEETS show no mercy; however, they possess an intrinsic creativity that stamps their originality. Ultimately, it’s their polished instrumental intricacies and all-encompassing, non-stop cavalcades of noise that give them the edge, branding SWEETS as ones to watch in 2023, as they gear full throttle towards the release of new singles, and hopefully, a new album at the back end of the year.

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