Swedish alt-rockers, Noija, formed in late 2016, and in the short time they’ve been together, they’ve crafted a reputation with just a debut single, and their debut album, ‘Colourblind‘ only further expresses the immense potential they have.
‘Untitled‘ opens the album with a synth-filled beginning with calming vocals, easing you in to what turns out to be a big-chorus, powerful, raw, and lyrically beautiful track. It sets the tone for the rest of the album perfectly.
Hearing that the band DIY’d the album, I was expecting things to be a little rough around the edges, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. Everything from the production to the mastering and mixing is outstanding. They create massive but not messy sounds and it works. Everything transitions smoothly, the band go from calming synth melodies to roaring anthemic choruses, and you don’t bat an eyelid.
Sonically, their songs tend to start off quite slow and calm before you get slapped in the face with a harsh and heavy chorus, like in ‘Hold Your Heart‘. Chopping and changing between bouncy tech riffs, dramatic crescendos, and delicate trills ordinarily would make someone feel uneasy, but it just works here. One area where you really have to praise Noija is in their ability to create huge atmosphere in their songs – namely ‘Can’t Slow Down‘, ‘Wallflower‘, and the album’s closer ‘Wanderer‘.
Lyrically, it’s all very honest. ‘Untitled’, ‘Just Hold Your Breath‘, and ‘A Touch From The Sun‘ especially bring out the feels. I think you’ll struggle to find a band who have written something this expressive recently. It’s refreshing to hear something so honest, full of heart-on-sleeve emotion, but presented in a way that brings you up, not puts you down. Reminiscent of Bring Me The Horizon on ‘That’s The Spirit‘, this album focuses on heart-wrenching themes and tough times, but expresses them in a more empowering way.
It’s a solid debut album, and Noija are definitely a band to keep an eye on.