Sauce Gang Collective is an exciting band from Dublin that fuse hip hop, rock, punk and funk and roll it all up with a sweet layer of ear tingling pop sauce. My first thoughts when listening to this band are that there aren't really any other Irish bands or artists that I can think of that actually do this type of style in any sort of credible manner that feels natural to them. I'm happy to say that Sauce Gang Collective manage to knock this out of the park. I've been listening to their new album, Mustard Melodies (released July 2024) and I'm loving it so far. It contains a great variety of sounds, styles and melodies and is very entertaining. It's definitely not one of those albums where every song sounds the same.
The album starts off with the funky fun song, What's the Sauce?, before moving on to Nintendo '08 which is one of the stand out tracks for me, fusing punk and rap really well. Nothin' About You is a melodic pop punk song with a driving drum beat and chorus featuring harmonic vocals that reminded me of Blink 182. As the album progresses, it does not drop in quality and the diverse style really keeps you entertained. Tracks that stood out for me are Queen of Hearts where I loved the piano melody, rap verses and catchy chorus where the vocals reminded me of Dublin legends, Chewie. When I Think of U (It'll All B Fine) is streetwise hip hop gold followed by Baby It's Over which returns to a pop punk style with aforementioned American sounding chorus melodies. Drownin' In My Thoughts is another track featuring an haunting Halloween style piano hook. I'm blown away by the entertaining variety that this album contains.
Not only have Sauce Gang Collective made me like them, they've also made an old rocker like me, like hip hop more. That's impressive as a start. They're a band that can attract a wide audience and hopefully that will be the case. They definitely have an international appeal and I can seem doing really well.
Sauce Gang Collective feature Lenin Mitchell on vocals, Rhyss Davies on guitar and vocals, Kev Kennedy on vocals, Mark Moloney on bass, Neil O’Flanagan on keys, and Sam Shepard on drums. They're a talented bunch who work really well together. In 2020, they released their debut album, Bangers n' Brown Sauce, and I'm happy to say that it's another fine collection of varying styles that will entertain anyone. Mustard Melodies is a step up, which excites me as it means they're a band on an upward curve. They're the perfect band for a car journey, a party or a festival. Go listen. Now!
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