Ryan Webb is a musician based in London, UK. His latest album ‘Stop the World’ is available 9th June 2018.
‘Stop the World’ is quite simply, stunning. It main genre is rock but most certainly flirts with grunge and metal in places. There are gorgeous guitar riffs from start to finish and hooks galore.
The opening track ‘Insomnia’ is a catchy track, reminiscent of Muse and is an excellent introduction to Webb’s luscious guitar work. Juxtaposed to this heavy opening, track number two ‘Runaway’ is lighter in nature. It has increased melodies and the big chorus lets Webb’s vocals shine bright. There are also big punchy drums and the backing vocals add depth and warmth to a remarkable track.
All of the songs are all killer no filler. We particularly liked the title track ‘Stop the World’, the duelling guitars at war with each other but coming together to create a peaceful sonic landscape. The vocal performance reminds us of Liam Gallagher mixed with Nirvana. It has been stuck in our head all day! We also favoured, ‘Lucky Ones’ with the syncopated drums at the opening followed by the metal sounding guitars. The vocals are magnificent in the chorus, the tone, control and grace are all top class. The closing track ‘Immortal’ is a brilliant way to end a exquisite piece of work. There is a wonderful use of delay and reverb on the vocals, strong and steady bass and drums until the big ear catching vocals on the chorus. Lyrically, ‘Stop the World covers: life, death, religion and a social commentary.
We can’t stress enough the excellent musicianship on this album. Each of the musicians are extremely competent in their fields. Webb’s guitar playing and vocals are sublime. The riffs at times create a subtle supporting back drop and the solos are breath taking. Webb’s voice is smooth and his higher register is phenomenal.
We were mighty impressed with the production mix of the album too which has all been done by Webb himself. It is evenly textured with colourful highlights and punchy rhythms. Mastered by Pete Maher, every song could easily be released as a single.
‘Stop the World’ is an album you will come back to again and again. We can’t wait to see what comes next from this exciting artist!
Reviewed by FVreviews May 2018
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