The Old Were Best is a new single from Norway-based band, NADROA. The sound blends elements of alternative, grunge and hard rock. A lot of bands label their music “alternative” but NADROA’s The Old Were Best comes about as close as you can get to the original, authentic ’90s alternative sound. Stylistically, the vocals fall somewhere in between Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder and REM but with a little bit more of a gritty edge. The singer is quite good actually and seems to have the ideal tone for this genre of music. His voice is just oozing with that contemplative, anti-hero charisma. The guitars are full and hit the sweet spot of grunge distortion without going into crunch overload. Production is clean and competent but not overly polished or as theatrical as something like glam rock. Despite the nostalgic title and ominous reflections, this isn’t one of those slow and depressing alternative jams, as the guitar pacing is peppy and vibrant throughout. There’s enough action here to keep your adrenaline going as the song quietly stirs up old emotions from the inner depths.

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