UBERKID come from Berlin and Hannover. Berlin can certainly be considered a reference point, but Hannover? Not without reason dubbed the ugliest city in the world, but perhaps precisely because of Lena (our child in Oslo) now regarded as a hidden gem among creatives? Well, it doesn't matter. This isn't about city philosophy. This is about music, about creative noise.
UBERKID have been around for 2 ½ years and present their first full-length album with "They hate us in New York." That's quite a steep career if one had started making music 2 ½ years ago. However, the guys definitely did not do that. The music is far too sophisticated for that.
On their album, UBERKID present twelve songs that stylistically consist of a mélange of crossover, soft screamo, indie rock, and a touch of electro-punk. One would think that there is pressure coming through. Pressure definitely comes through. One must also give UBERKID credit for not trying to be a better Bullet for My Valentine clone. However, by the second listen, the hoarse, screaming vocals sound a bit too forced. There is no volume in it. It comes off as wannabe. Samples are mixed into the songs, sometimes more, sometimes less. Samples that sound like cheap techno from a stolen keyboard from Karstadt. Why these samples are audible is anyone's guess. They add nothing to the songs, except for creating a break and leaving one questioning in front of the sound system. If I mix in samples or want to layer the sound with a keyboard, it should fit the music and not sound completely foreign.
Artistic ambition or not, it just doesn't fit.
UBERKID show on "They hate us in New York" some good approaches and have their own style, which is expandable, but at least present. So, not bad signs for a good development.
