Rapturous - ‘Repeat After Me’ Review: A resounding example of what ‘genre-defining’ really means
Repeat After Me finds itself home as a crowd-pleaser with a roaring message that’s relatable, emotive and simple enough to naturally create an epic live response.
★★★★★★★☆☆☆
Credit: Rapturous 📸
On 25th April, Kent's five-piece Rapturous dropped their massive new track Repeat After Me. Rapturous are a Kent-based alternative rock/hip-hop outfit, made up of lead singers Luke Barratt and Ashton Lilburn, Luke Davidson on Lead Guitar, Nathan Cooke on Bass Guitar and Adam McVey on Drums.
Garnering attention respectively from both NME and BBC Introducing, Repeat After Me ramps up their trajectory as an exciting disruptor in the hip-hop space.
The track is the first of 2024, after the Future Of Nothing EP back in 2022. It’s full of chaos, pent-up frustration and punk attitude.
Musically, it takes elements from the likes of Dizzee Rascal and injects a lethal dose of rock and roll. The result is a liberating anthem that is difficult to ignore. In the same way Seven Nation Army erupts in stadiums, Repeat After Me employs anthemic songwriting to get people on their feet.
While it had us screaming after a couple of listens, it feels somewhat restrained. This is a track that would undeniably sound massive on stage, something that’s always tricky to translate onto a studio version.
“We really want to hear these songs live, we’re thinking mosh pits galore.” explains BBC Introducing. They weren’t exaggerating either, we’re right behind this.
Lyrically, you’ll find the five-piece unshackling the misery of everyday life and ascending into a new world perspective (‘We’re all prisoners of our own demand’).
What makes Repeat After Me so refreshing is the right blend between simplicity and activation. A lot of tracks which are written to be crowd-ready anthems lack substance, or a narrative that evokes a real response.
Repeat After Me finds itself home as a crowd-pleaser with a roaring message that’s relatable, emotive and simple enough to naturally create an epic live response.
Speaking about the single, the band explained:
“The song was inspired by the old blues style of call & response, we wanted to create something that could be easily sung back to us by the crowd. The song is about being free from anything that is getting you down, be it your job, finances, the world, or the weekend's football scores. Freedom from misery, that’s the idea.”
:: Round-Up ::
Repeat After Me is a track bursting with energy and creative ideas. What’s more exciting is a glimpse into unlocked potential, bursting through the rhythm. With an endless list of musical influences, it seems Rapturous is only getting started.
Repeat after me, I wanna be free. Catch the band at their next show on 18th May, at The Font in Brighton (Great Escape Festival Fringe Event).
Now, it’s your turn. Give it a spin, and tell us what you think on Insta or X.
Rating: 7/10
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