Right off the bat, Garrett Anthony Rice, an Irish lad hailing from the sleepy coastal town of Greystones in County Wicklow, has just dropped a monster of a track that deserves to be played at maximum volume through the best speakers you own. “The Prisoner” is exactly what rock needs right now.
From the opening notes, you can feel the weight of this thing. The rhythm section is absolutely punishing. Geoff Dugmore on drums is laying down beats that feel like a heartbeat monitor flatlining then surging back to life. Chris Webb on bass locks in so tight with Dugmore that you’d think they share the same brain. That low-end rumble will shake your ribcage, folks.
And then there’s Adam Philips and Tim Wills together—Philips holding down the structure while Wills drenches everything in atmospheric effects that make the whole track feel like it’s crawling out of some damp London basement. Which, by the way, makes perfect sense because this beast was tracked at Kore Studios in London and finished up at producer Chris Potter‘s home spot in Bournemouth.
Now let’s talk about Garrett himself. The dude wears his influences on his sleeve, and thank fuck for that. He straight-up admits Bowie is the reason he makes music, and you can hear it in every vocal phrasing, every dramatic twist. But there’s also that Joy Division darkness running through his veins—that cold, post-punk ache that makes you feel like you’re standing in an empty warehouse at 3 AM.
The story behind “The Prisoner” is twisted in the best way. Garrett spins this tale about a serial killer talking to their victim locked in the basement. But here’s where it gets clever—the predator becomes the prey, gets arrested, and suddenly THEY’RE the prisoner. And just when you think you’ve got it figured out? They pull a Bowie “Ashes To Ashes” move and recant the whole confession. The narrative arc goes from dark to light and crashes back into darkness again. Genius.
This is headphones-on, eyes-closed, let-it-destroy-you territory. Garrett Anthony Rice just announced himself as a force to reckon with, and “The Prisoner” is the kind of debut single that makes you hungry for whatever comes next.
https://soundcloud.com/garrett-anthony-rice/the-prisoner
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