Sutlej – Tell Me You Care

The contemporary music scene thrives, with so many artists and bands delivering some of the finest works any music genre has seen in years. But music outlets that excel at the very beginning of their careers are rare nowadays. And while many of them possess everything it takes to be a standout artist or a band, it seems that many of them follow the path crafted by renowned tastemakers, social media, and streaming platforms. Thankfully, there are bands that disobey all the rules and simply deliver what they think might be the next big thing. Sutlej, a London-based alternative rock trio, is defitiely one of those new names on the scene who know how to deliver catchy, memorable, captivating music to the table that, most importantly, doesn’t sound like anything else you could possibly stumble on streaming platforms nowadays. After “Let Me Out,” a critically acclaimed debut composition, the trio returns with “Tell Me You Care,” another exceptional standalone single that will immediately wrap around your listening apparatus, grab by the collar, and refuse to let go long after the last notes and beats fade away. And this is not just another plain alternative rock song. Quite the contrary, Sutlej are masters in crafting emotionally and sonically resonant compositions that carry some of the finest properties of modern and retro grunge, indie, and emo, and you may even stumble upon some additional sonic ingredients borrowed from modern shoegaze music as well. With the comprehensive collection of many different yet complementary styles on their disposal, Sutlej are painting a luxuriant sonic imagery that sound unlike anything you’ve heard before. And while some of these genres dominantly shine in the mix, others play a significant role in enhancing, accentuating, and decorating particular segments or the entire song. These folks tastefully, cleverly, and thoughtfully composed the entire song, making “Tell Me You Care” such a perfect alternative rock song that will easily become a staple on your playlist once you hear it.

As soon as you press play, you’ll immediately notice how bit role guitars play here. Tastefully distorted chord progressions heavily soaked into studio reverb effect gradually prepare your listening apparatus for a journey through the expansive sonic universe. The guitars sound angular, jangly, chunky but distorted at the same time, exemplfying how alternative rock guitars should sound nowadays. During these calm, soothing, relaxing, ethereal moments, you’ll notice every accentuation, percussion, and strum over the strings, which perfectly complements the rhythmic sequences. The collection of alternative, indie, and emo influences is vividly hearable here, as every chord progression carries bits and pieces of every mentioned genre. The guitar works gradually expand into much heavier moments where you can hear all those alternative, grunge, and shoegaze elements. During these moments, the guitars shine with heavily distorted riffs, which bring tremendous rawness, grittiness, aggression, and power, yet somehow feel so melodic and harmonious. That melody is especially hearable during the catchy, memorable, engaging choruses. You’ll also hear how the calm, soothing, relaxing, ethereal vocal performance serves as a centerpiece, elevates everything to an entirely new level, commands attention, and guides the listening apparatus through every segment. This performance brings more than necessary emotional depth through soulful, passionate, sincere, confident vocal lines that, in so many cases, add complexity to an already intricate song structure while decorating all those segments and orchestrations. During the choruses, you’ll hear how the additional vocal layers offer more detail, depth, and anthemic vibes, further expanding this song into uncharted territories. Beneath all those lush guitar works, you’ll notice how the warm-sounding, vividly hearable, intricate basslines rumble and contribute more heaviness, clarity, and depth to the song while simultaneously acting as binding element between the mentioned orchestrations and rhyhtmic patterns. These clean, warm, deep, heavy low ends add another layer of melody, offering groove and detail without ever overwhelming anything. In the meantime, the exceptional drumming performance, based upon cleverly assembled, flawlessly performed, well-accentuated, complex beats, breaks, fills, and other percussive acrobatics, keeps the remainder of the band in line while dictating groove and pace. You’ll notice how every instrument plays a significant role here, making “Tell Me You Care” such an epic listening experience.

With their second single, Sutlej prove how alternative rock music, when done right, can still sound fresh, innovative, and exciting. “Tell Me You Care” is such a beautiful composition that not only showcases the creativity, talent, skills, ideas, and musicianship of the entire band but also exemplifies how captivating alternative rock music can be when it’s merged with other different yet complementary styles. Sutlej is an exceptional trio that absolutely shines throughout the entire composition, delivering music that feels so soulful, honest, and powerful. If you’re looking for a perfect alternative rock song,  “Tell Me You Care” will be a perfect choice for you.