I’m sure that I’ve come across Narotic in the past. With a career that started in 2018, the band went through member changes. I originally saw the remix release of “Not much left” before seeing their 2023 EP, Hatred. From the band’s name and the title of the EP, my impression before I started listening was that it would be a hard rock release.
Hatred starts with “Hatred.” And my first reaction was that it reminded me of Radiohead. Not in the overall or foundational composition, but in the atmosphere and emotional world the song set up. Narotic presents a low-key rock mixed with shoegaze type of feel. Tempos are slow and the music quietly fills the verse. I wouldn’t go as far as to say that Hatred is an “emo” EP, but it definitely can toe that line.
Narotic fills a transitional space between albums. It’s like when you listen to an intense album and need something to bring you to a calmer place. Narotic’s song content may not be the right answer, but the instrumentals envelope you.
The five songs and the 23 minutes of music work perfectly to bridge a gap or fill some time. Then later on, you can dive deeper into the music and get an in-depth experience with the music.
If there’s one weakness with Hatred, it is the fact that it serves as a filler album for a listener. It’s a great EP to listen through for a specific need but I don’t know if I would solely search out this release. It might be better to listen to 2021’s KindA.
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Written by Chris P for Korean Indie.