Review: Under One Sun’s newest arena-filling single ‘Newborn Day’ encourages listeners to take hold of their lives and find happiness
The rising rock outfit known as Under One Sun are hailing from just outside of London, consisting of five smashing members armed to the teeth with their 90’s influenced modern alt rock. Gracing stages across the country in the past few months along with a string of upcoming UK tour dates in support of their newest single, Under One Sun are merely at the beginning of their journey yet already wield a sound that’s sure to garner a dedicated audience. Following on from their big summer hit ‘Blood Paper’, their latest single ‘Newborn Day’ offers up a new tone that’s perhaps their strongest work to date.
Blasting in with a brash volume and unapologetic angst, ‘Newborn Day’ doesn’t hold back on unleashing their staggeringly powerful electric guitar, clashing drums and chanted vocals right from the opening moments. Settling slightly for the verse, a reverberated guitar riff lingers in the background beside gentle drum beats and a hazy vocal performance, still carrying a sense of tension that this moment of peace won’t last long before being disturbed. An atmospheric pre-chorus picks up the sound a little higher, building an almost dreamy interval as the vocals draw out words and take the weight of the world off your shoulders. This solitude quickly comes crashing down with shredding guitar and bursting drums for a short moment, though, leaving a rough edge to this song that doesn’t hold back in offering it all. Attitude-filled, charismatic vocals accompany this thundering soundscape, slightly buried under the noise but not so heavily that the anthemic chants and gritty singing can’t be heard and appreciated. Carrying raw emotion in both the vocal’s hoarse performance and the soundscape’s almost industrial feel, ‘Newborn Day’ is exceptionally intertwined with its lyrical message and doesn’t fail in offering a delivery that captures its essence.
Beyond the arena-filling sound, ‘Newborn Day’ holds a message that’s intended to resonate. As they hope to remind listeners that life is right there for the taking and every second truly counts, ‘Newborn Day’ acts as both a pick-me-up and a saddening reminder that life is not guaranteed. As the opening line loudly pushes the track’s agenda upon you, ‘Wake up and seize the day’, Under One Sun encourage their listeners to grip onto their lives with both hands and take hold of every moment to find happiness within ourselves and those we surround ourselves with. Although depression and mental illness can weigh you down and leave you feeling that life isn’t worth living at times, Under One Sun are here to remind their audience that they can get through their lows and find a sense of hope and purpose within their lives in each uplifting chorus that deters from the verses downbeat deterioration. Capturing both the difficulties of recovery as well as the positivity of life all in one, ‘Newborn Day’ will certainly relate to just about anyone - whether you need a push to live more in the moment or a beacon of hope for the future.
Of the single, guitarist and songwriter James Khan says: “Newborn Day was written very quickly and is about taking opportunities, pushing through depression and enjoying the moments that we have in life. The chords and structure follow the late 90s rock formula, influenced by The PIXIES and Foo Fighters. The string section was composed by Elliott Thronhill to give it a big theatrical ending and we couldn’t be happier with how it’s turned out!”
Check out ‘Newborn Day’ for yourself here, and enjoy Under One Sun’s rough and rowdy sound that’s carrying a softness beneath the surface!
Written by: Tatiana Whybrow
Photo Credits: Unknown
