I can positively say that Chroma is not here to fuck spiders with their debut album Ask for Angela.
Chroma’s debut album, “Ask for Angela,” is an electrifying force, delivering an unrelenting thirty-six minutes of pure intensity that has the power to disrupt any top 10 albums list for 2023.
Hailing from Pontypridd, Wales, this bilingual band is serving up a thrilling and innovative blend of rock, alt-rock, and punk. Seamlessly fusing these genres to not only build a devoted fan base, but also gracing stages at events like the Reading & Leeds Festival, BBC Radio 1’s Biggest Weekend, FOCUS Wales, and Festival Number 6, as well as taking their talent to European festivals in Barcelona and Brittany. Their live performances have seen them sharing the stage with notable acts such as Tokky Horror, IDLES, Peace, The Joy Formidable, VANT, and Tigercub
But their accomplishments don’t stop there. Chroma has found their place on Spotify’s editorial playlists, performed on television on BBC Wales and S4C, regularly featured in FA Wales media content and Visit Wales promotions, and gained recognition from esteemed publications like the Metro, PRS M for Music Magazine, South Wales Argus, and Y Selar. Remarkably, they achieved all of this without the release of a full album.
Their debut album, Ask for Angela, was recorded during lockdown at Giant Wafer Studios and was produced and mixed by Steffan Pringle (Adwaith, Future of the Left, Boy Azooga) and mastered by Tom Langrish at E1 Mastering (IDLES, Fontaines D.C, DITZ) in London.
On the recording sessions, drummer Zac Mather says,
We brought in Steffan right at the start of the production cycle of the album and it was easily one of the best decisions we ever made. We have a really good relationship with Steff so it all just felt so easy. He understands the vision that we have in our minds whilst also fully understanding the sonic vision. He would persistently make us go for take after take to ensure only the best takes made the final tracks. We definitely feel that he brought the best out of us at the time of recording. There was loads of room in the recording process where we could all chuck in ideas alongside some production choices that we didn’t even know we wanted.
Zac says this on being able to perform in both Welsh and English,
We’ve always kind of just written what feels natural at the time. We’ve written a large collection of songs over the years that haven’t always made the cut, and for this record only the best songs of the batch made the cut. The 3 of us are proud to be Welsh speakers and the language is a big part of our identity as a band. We love that our music can introduce people to the language of our motherland and we really look forward to using our platform in the future to release more tracks in the Welsh Language.
Vocalist Katie Hall adds this,
I always find songs come to me either in Welsh or English. I grew up speaking English at home and my Mam was obsessed with poets like Carol Ann Duffy and Sylvia Plath. Then in school I discovered Welsh language poetry, to the point I ended up studying Welsh at Cardiff Uni. It’s a privilege to be able to write lyrics in Welsh and share them with the rest of the world.
The album’s title draws inspiration from the UK’s anti-sexual assault campaign, and it delves into a wide array of themes, reflecting the band’s personal journey and exploring the diverse lived experiences of women. Ask for Angela fearlessly tackles issues such as internal disputes within the feminist movement, challenges to trans rights in the UK, violence against women, mental health, and other pressing topics. The trio opens their music to fans and listeners, creating a welcoming and empowering space for all.
On the album, Katie explains,
I remember seeing an Ask For Angela poster in the ladies toilets of my local, and thinking ‘isn’t it fucked up that in public spaces, where you’re meant to have fun, there’s a need to put safety policies in place so that women and people of minority genders don’t get abused in public?’
STATISTICS: A 2021 report by UN Women UK found that 97% of women aged 18-24 have been sexually harassed. A further 96% not reporting those situations because of the belief that it would not change anything. The numbers show that Ask for Angela is a campaign that is needed.
Katie further adds,
We wanted to use the name for the album to bring attention to the fact that the world, how it is today, is not safe for women and people of minority genders. There’s a kind of softness to the name as well. We hope that people who listen to the album will feel seen, and less alone.
That less alone feeling is immediately accomplished with “Don’t Mind Me”, an inside look at Katie’s first mental breakdown. The song not only allows healing for the vocalist, but gives space to someone who may need to know or hear they are not alone.
As a staunch trans ally, I really loved the lyrics and meaning behind “Woman to Woman”. The song is a powerful anthem, addressing TERF (Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminist) conflicts within the feminist movement with insightful lyrics set against a deep bass and drum groove.
Katie says this of the song, and I agree with her on every word,
I feel so strongly as a cis woman that we need to protect and be good allies to people of minority genders. There’s no place for transphobia in my idea of what feminism is. Have your letter back JK, we don’t want it.
Conversely, “Girls Talk” celebrates the bonds between women and the way we share information, featuring an irresistible bass line, dynamic drums, powerful vocals, and soaring guitars that fluctuate between savage and compassionate.
“Head in Transit” reflects on Katie’s experiences working at a local authority call centre, where she engaged in therapeutic conversations with strangers. Meanwhile, “Life’s a Bitch” explores the breaking point in life, and “Over the Hill” pays homage to the South Wales Valleys.
For those craving a dual linguistic experience, “Don’t Wanna Go Out” was released in both Welsh and English, delving into the impact of anxiety on one’s social life.
Ask for Angela has set a high bar for Chroma. A bar I have no doubt they will keep raising. As for a debut album, Ask for Angela is not only powerful and perfect, it’s a beautiful testament to Chroma’s talent.
MUST LISTEN TRACKS: All 11 tracks
FAVOURITE TRACK: “Girls Talk”, “Don’t Mind Me”, “Woman to Woman”, “Bombs Away”
