Invercargill rockers Theorem return with new single Bridges. The band has been on hiatus for a decade, and now we get more, yay!

Consisting of John Ward on guitar and vocals, Josh Hillman on bass and vocals, and Dan Harrison on drums, these Smokefree RockQuest alumni from the deep South of Aotearoa have crafted a surprising track in a number of ways. I shall elaborate…

The track does start out a lot like something one would be fooled into believing is going down the metal path. Pretty heavy and intense riffing and thudding bass, but then all of a sudden you realise you’ve been listening all along to a rather high quality pop-punk (or is it punk-pop?) song. This is a genre that just never goes away, and I am happy for that because I really like it. New Zealand has numerous bands who are adept at this stuff (Aucklanders Stray Dogs spring instantly to mind) and Theorem definitely sits in the scholar section of the class.

We’ve got a twin vocal delivery. One of the guys has a strong tenor and leads the vocal, with the second being a high register soprano which fits well as a foil to the first vocal part in timbre and octave. It also adds a quirkiness that enhances its punky vibe. In a way, this is what All American Rejects should have gone on to sound like if outsider voices hadn’t gotten into the mix (speculating a bit but they did kind of meander…).

I don’t have a vid to review, but the track is on the You Tubes with the cover art, and it’s on Spotify too. Of course, any track we review goes on the Flash-Trax playlist if it’s on that platform, so you can find it on ours. It’s been nicely mixed and balanced, and runs well. The sound is fresh and energetic, and up-tempo which I think is going to get people up and gyrating. I hope they’re going on tour to broadcast their return, as this is a great track.

I particularly enjoyed the vocal harmony weave in the chorus pieces. Very well done, and again a little punky and quirky, but hitting the right notes and keys, pushing the right buttons. As mentioned, the track delivers a number of happy little surprises. The addition of vocal harmonies was a happy addition to a great mix.

After a decade away I’m sure the band is keen to build up a head of steam, so I’m hoping their management is onto that for them and that we hear this around the traps on radio, the telly, and on licence at the bars and clubs. Great return to the game for Theorem. If you like the genre, you’ll enjoy this single. Bridges. Go find it now!