9 O’clock Nasty Show Their Darker Side with ‘Darker Star’

Leicester-based 9 O’Clock Nasty’s new single has got listeners wholly engaged with a new hit of self-proclaimed ‘whimsical aggression’.

Although the tempo of the track is actually quite mid, the vocals adds firey energy that emulates feelings of a controlled frustration; not quite denying the feeling, but completely owning it. In fact, the main vocal hook “I was born under a darker star than you” sounds as if it could be some sort of chant at a rally with the amount of energy they hold. 

As the bass is introduced, its slow pace has an almost sultry, enticing feel that cleverly binds the rest of the instrumentation together, adding a nice contrasting element to the vocals which refuse to be ignored.

After an unapologetically loud 3 and a half minutes, 9 O’Clock Nasty takes the unexpected approach to end the song abruptly. Opting out of a long instrumental ending or a pinnacle climax, instead, the 4 pieces simply cut all instrumentation and insert a sample of crickets chirping. Not only is this an interesting unexpected twist, but its suddenness leaves the listener pondering what they’ve just experienced, allowing the song to simply ring in the listener’s head until they’re ready to jump back in to relive the madness all over again.

It’s clear that 9 O’Clock Nasty are unafraid of self-expression and are in fact readily embracing every side of themselves. Seemingly taking comfort in not following any particular genre or song structure, the track could well indicate the band's future sound: undeniably bold, lively and anthemic.

Rachel Feehan

@rachiefee @rachel_feehan 

Image: 'Darker Star' Official Single Cover