Single Review: Rena Angel – “Labyrinth”

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photo courtesy of Elefant.Music

Single Review of Rena Angel: “Labyrinth”

Rena Angel‘s performance of “Labyrinth” is a hit-caliber modern ethereal pop song, as her voice hits some nifty high notes while also falling to a whisper at the end of many of the lines, resulting in an aural environment that draws the listener in close. It’s a very effective device, if you have the voice to pull it off, which Rena absolutely does.

The song begins with simple strumming and vocals that fall into a steady tempo, but rather than falling into a rut, as might often be the case with such a vocal choice, Rena’s delivery builds tension, as if leading somewhere, and indeed, that’s the case. The tension builds to a release, a tempo change payoff in the chorus, ending “So I’m happy here, just me. Yes, I′m happy here just me.” The second verse and chorus repeat the pattern, followed by some variety in the pattern to end the song, leaning more heavily into the more emotive elements of the song, highlighting the sweeter side of Rena’s vocals, soaring more to bring the song to its conclusion.

image courtesy of Elefant.Music

As a showcase for Rena’s vocal talent, this song gets an A-plus. It’s an appealing listen, one that will convince you to give it enough spins for the song to sufficiently grow on you.

Curious about whether or not this is Rena only singing style, I skimmed some of her older songs on Spotify, and she does, indeed, have a broader range than shown on “Labyrinth,” booming to power on “Beauty When I Bleed” and serving up a richer pop sound on “Portobello Road.” Although she leans into her unique ethereal vocal capabilities on “Labyrinth” and several other of her prior singles, and that’s impressive, the variety in her portfolio bodes well for a more broadly successful career with the capability to reach an even bigger audience. Indeed, with “Labyrinth” as a starting point, pop vocal music fans are gonna really dig Rena Angel’s music.

Single Review: Shea Rafferty – “Livin'”

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image courtesy of AFC Management & Publicity

Single Review of Shea Rafferty: “Livin'”

You ready to get a lump in your throat? Oh, yeah, Shea Rafferty serves it up! Fast-rising UK Americana artist Rafferty serves up a reminiscent, throwback number that straddles the line between Americana and country music. Nah, it’s firmly in both camps, though for me, I think it leans country, and not judge because of the slide guitar wafting through the number from time to time but also because Rafferty’s voice is convincingly deep and quivers a little like good country singers’ often do when emotions well up. And yet it is flush with references to pop, rock, and country musical touchstones (“It was Springsteen, Madonna, Petty or Nirvana. It’s was old country songs, we all could sing along…”), as it harkens back to simpler times before constant digital connectivity. Rafferty is so rich, his voice so sincere, and the lyrics so convincing. Nostalgia is a powerful emotional drug, and the way Rafferty’s voice soars during the climactic line “It was livin’!”, there’s no doubt this is a surefire hit anywhere it gets a little airplay. Regardless, it’s a song we all need on our playlists.

More Recently

A couple weeks after “Livin'” was released in September, the full album Livin’ dropped. If this single is any indication, that album is a must-hear!

EP Review: Pareidolls – Jessie

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photo by Robert Russell; photo courtesy of Crowflies Communications

EP Review of Pareidolls: Jessie (Red Licorice Records)

Pareidolls‘ “Jessie” was released by Red Licorice Records as a 7″ vinyl single with “Give and Take” as its B side. The 4-song Jessie EP also contains two tracks – “Slater Street” and “Freefalling” – recorded live at the 100 Club.

The band of talented teenagers is comprised of Georgia Attwood (vocals), Freya Wilcox (drums), Bethan Sheldrick (bass), Tabitha Law (guitar) and Biba Russell (guitar). The music jams and jangles, and the tight rockin’ sound is a fitting homage to the female rock pioneers cited in the band’s promo material: The Go-Go’s, The Bangles, and L7. I’d place Pareidolls at the L7 rockin’ end of the spectrum. From the pages of the Blog, though, a lot of what I’m hearing in Attwood’s vocals remind me of teens-at-the-time-I-reviewed them TOS’s lead singer Sophie Ward, especially when the vocal requires a lilting edge.

photo by Robert Russell; photo courtesy of Crowflies Communications

The title track, “Jessie,” starts a straight-forward rocker with a funky bassline, a soulful-rockin’ vocal line, a bluesy/crunchy axework. It’s an energy-packed romp for the first two minutes before it seems to experience a power loss for about 30 seconds, becoming exceedingly slow and drawn out for about 30 seconds before a 15-second build-up (energy recovery) back to its previous energetic, just a hair shy of frantic pace as it races to the end. I mean, it was already a song worth hearing even without that nifty late-song slowdown and recovery, but with that added clever maneuver, it’s a must hear. I guarantee “Jessie” will become a quick favorite.

“Give and Take,” the 7″ inch’s B side, is a crunchy, bangin’ rocker. It also gives Attwood a chance to unveil a very cool, ear-shattering rock ‘n roll wail.

photo by Robert Russell; photo courtesy of Crowflies Communications

“Slater Street,” next, is more straightforward rocker with a straightforward line of attack and some impressive guitarwork. EP-ender “Freefalling” takes a more methodical funky-bluesy angle, at least with the bass, while the guitar and drums are straight-up rock ‘n roll all the way. A nifty bridge that’s lightly instrumented behind Attwood’s high, crisp vocals also adds a neat touch to “Freefalling.”

If I take just one thing away from this EP, it’s that “Jessie” is a song that’s likely to become a fast favorite, while the rest of the EP reveals a band with a sound that’ll be very entertaining at a live concert and capable of spawning several more hits over the coming years.

To keep up with this rising young band, check out Pareidolls’ linktree and follow their socials. (You can find links to their socials at their linktree).

Single Review: TT – “My Dear Woman”

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image courtesy of DRPR

Single Review of TT: “My Dear Woman”

TT is a singer with a timeless voice, providing “My Dear Woman” with a delivery that’s equally suited to a concert stage or an intimate listening session, has passed a half million spins on Spotify since its June release, so I’m clearly not the only person who thinks this song’s something special. Indeed, TT has the vocal talent to perhaps the next singer-songwriter/actor to succeed in those dual roles.

“My Dear Woman” feels like it would have been an adult contemporary hit back in VH1’s heyday. A danceclubby beat – though without the requisite tempo – combines with TT’s smooth vocals and a rich soundbed that’s mostly steady but at times also big and orchestral. I can picture Tom Jones having a hit with a song like this a few decades ago, perhaps without some of the more modern flourishes of TT’s performance.

The song’s topic, too, is likely to strike a chord with a lot of listeners, covering the emotions and guilt surrounding breakups.

“My Dear Woman” was the first single released in advance of TT’s anticipated fall album release. You can hear more recent singles – and soon the full album (if not already by the time I proofread and post this review) – on your favorite streaming service.

 

EP Review: Something Sneaky – Old Notes

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photo by Stevie George; photo courtesy of Knyvet

EP Review of Something Sneaky: Old Notes

Distorted, grungy, heavy garage rock. Or maybe basement rock. Indeed, Old Notes, the newest EP from Something Sneaky, is the sort of raw rock ‘n roll you’d expect to hear in an unfinished basement live music venue in a college town.

Justin Iacovino (vocals, guitars, keyboards) is joined in Something Sneaky by Jeremy Iacovino (drums), Chris Casserly (bass), and Jesse George (guitars). Old Notes is the band’s first long-form recording since its 2017 release Pictures.

artwork by Dan Nelligan and Cal Ciarcia; image courtesy of Knyvet

The song with the most crossover potential – the one most likely to appeal to listeners beyond the band’s core noisy, raw, kinda punky alt-rock core – is album opener “Stevie’s Here.” From its strumming open to its its catchy repeated guitar hooks, “ooh-ooh” parts, mainstream alt-rock tempo changes, and only moderately distorted jangly guitar bridge, “Stevie’s Here” is stylistically related to a lot of indie rock hits. The rest of the album doesn’t combine all those pieces the way the album-opener does.

However, the rest of the songs do cohesively complete an excellent 5-song beginning-to-end listen. Indeed, that’s not to suggest the other songs are similar to each other. Far from it, in fact, as stylistic differences give each of the tracks on this EP a very different feel.

“Hole Foods” is likely to be a club favorite, both live for Something Sneaky and as an ideal choice for clubs’ between-bands playlists. The song thumps along with its heavy, almost grungy bass and drums-driven rhythm. The vocals and song structure take what seem like some engaging aural detours before returning to the forcefully advancing primary rhythm. Again, concertgoers are going to dig this song; and, it’s the sort of energy-maintaining song that would keep rock crowds buzzing when the recording is played between sets of multi-act concerts. (I honestly don’t think I’ve ever recommended a song for that purpose before.)

photo by Stevie George; photo courtesy of Knyvet

As for the rest of the EP, “Gold Notes” is more of a swaying wailer. And I should point out that I didn’t dub Something Sneaky’s style “basement rock” just because of the “I’m trapped in a basement” lyric in “Gold Notes.” In fact, I thought of the phrase before I noticed the lyric, which made it fun to discover. “Depressure,” next, is a slow, aptly-entitled, depressive-instrumented, slow moody number. And album-closer “Stoner Kids” is a six-minute epic that maintains the same rhythm throughout but builds in noise as the song advances through its second half. I mean, yeah there are jangles and nuances I could mention, but I’ll let you discover those for yourselves as you listen to the very cool, mind-numbing cacophony until it closes with a buzz.

Regardless, everyone needs to hear “Stevie’s Here.” And the rest of the album? If this is your brand of musical noise, you’ll dig it from the get-go. Even if it’s not quite your usually-preferred rock sub-style, give it a few listens. As you begin to hear the nuances, the other songs may grow on you, too, as they did on me.

Single Review: Split Keys – “Lightning”

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photo by Samir Abya; photo courtesy of Inverse Records

Single Review of Split Keys: “Lightning”

Helsinki-based rockers Split Keys are Joona Mikkilä (vocals, guitar), Jyri Mikkilä (bass), Ville Keinonen (guitar), and Jussi Keinonen (drums). The foursome’s latest single is “Lightning,” a catchy, high-energy, broad-appeal rocker with some big-ass hooks.

image courtesy of Inverse Records

The song opens with drums and some playful instrumentation before jumping into its primary beat and style. The song features hints of Billy Idol’s sneer in the vocal delivery and has stylistic energy reminiscent of “Rock the Cradle” but with a modern rock veneer. That’s about the limit of the comparison, as the song structure is also a little more akin to radio-friendly album rock, with a classic rock-styled guitar solo. But it’s a catchy, danceable hard rock song with monster hooks, so I suppose that’s a little more in common.

Simply, Split Keys’ “Lightning” grabbed me early with hook after hook and has grown to be a highly-anticipated entry on my personal playlist. So if you like catchy rock songs, as I do, this will be right up your alley, a welcome addition to your music rotation.

Single Review: Atom Stone – “Isn’t Love”

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image courtesy of Glass Onyon PR

Single Review of Atom Stone: “Isn’t Love”

Atom Stone‘s “Isn’t Love” is a compelling heavy rock/new metal single with a blend of metal power and pop-friendly finesse that’ll grab the listeners attention and simply won’t let it go. Falling somewhere between Daughtry and Blog favorite Major Moment, “Isn’t Love” has a sound that can appeal to multiple decades of heavy rock fans.

photo courtesy of Glass Onyon PR

“Isn’t Love” was the second single released in advance of Stone’s upcoming album Bad Decisions, and it gives listeners plenty to get excited about. On this song, cowritten by Stone and Nick Sturms, Stone is joined in the studio by Nick Sturms, Jeff Sturms, and Conner Kearns.

Stone’s vocals start as a tunefully hushed near-whisper, then rise to an edgy slightly quivering power as the song builds, doing a great job of expressing an angry pain, delivering lines like “isn’t love supposed to feel like freedom, isn’t love supposed to come with trust” that lead to the conclusion “this isn’t love.” I guarantee this song is going to touch a nerve with a large subsegment of listeners.

At the same time, it rocks heavy. Crunchy guitars for emphasis. Distorted instrumentation to give that big, new-metal open-space airiness. And hushed, intimate moments, occasionally with just light keyboardwork, though more often accompanied by the song’s recurring crunchy guitar riff.

The song feels like it has a faster pace than it really does, and that’s due to the music’s power. Prog rockers are good at this, but it’s less common in a more mainstream act, which is why bands like Daughtry and Major Moment, which I compare Atom’s sound on “Isn’t Love” with, are so special. Harder rock ‘n rollers, this song is an absolute must-hear!

EP Review: Steve Geraci – There Goes the Neighborhood

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image courtesy of Steve Geraci

EP Review of Steve Geraci: There Goes the Neighborhood

Last year, I reviewed “Voice in My Head,” the lead single from Steve Geraci‘s 4-song EP, There Goes the Neighborhood; the EP was released in its entirety early this year. The 4 tracks are an eclectic mix of throwback, ’70s and early ’80s-influenced rock ‘n roll, occasionally gritty, often a little experimental, and always interesting, entertaining, and original. Most of all, on There Goes the Neighborhood, Geraci tries to keep the listener on edge, as the lyrics, instrumentation, and composition are all designed to produce an uneasiness, even as the end result is a raucous, fun alt-rock/garage rock listen.

The first song, the title track “There Goes the Neighborhood,” is probably the most commercially viable of the collection, with a melodious tunefulness in the verses and the chorus. Geraci’s rough, hoarse-ish rock ‘n roll voice adds both alt-rock street cred and a thoughtful intensity to the vocals, as the lyrics are an ode – no, what’s the opposite of an ode? a warning? – to living beyond one’s means, focusing primarily on the moment it all comes crashing down. But, you know, in a catchy, singalong kind of way. Indeed, the whole EP is solid, but this is the breakout song on the record, the most likely to appeal to the broadest swath of fans.

photo by Jennifer Geraci; photo courtesy of Knyvet

It’s followed by kind-of-funky alt-rocker “Voice in My Head,” another relatively catchy song. Then “Paradise Lost,” which incorporates some cool, soulful saxwork to add some smoothness to the otherwise edgy number, though even the sax is a little abrupt, befitting the song’s lyrics and somewhat matching Geraci’s vocal delivery.

Finally, “Save Yourself,” after a distortedly bluesy-rockin’ opening guitar and drum exchange, settles into its garage rock style, with a steady rhythm driving the listener to sway along.

In the end There Goes the Neighborhood is a must-hear for garage rock/alt-rock fans, especially if you enjoy the kind of music you’d have heard in college dive bars in the ’70s or ’80s, rough-edged, thoughtful, and topical, where the music and the lyrics go hand in hand stylistically.

image courtesy of Steve Geraci

Single Review of “Top Shelf People”

Just recently, on October 9, Geraci released a new single, “Top Shelf People.” It’s kind of a scatty, jazzy number, very much not what I was expecting, with lots of open space, vocals that are more frantic than frenetic, mostly just riffing that almost seems random, at times, though it all comes together; the listener will be able to piece it all together by the end. So what would I call the musical style? Experimental alt-jazz, I suppose.

Topically, Geraci’s website does a good job describing what the song is about, those absolutely worthwhile friends and acquaintances. The truly good ones. The top shelf people.

In the grand scheme of things, “Top Shelf People” sounds exactly like and not at all like a Steve Geraci number, both at the same time. It doesn’t have the rock ‘n roll edge you’ve come to expect, but it experiments with sounds and arrangements, as Geraci is generally wont to do.

Album Review: Resolver – Better Than What?

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Album Review of Resolver: Better Than What?

Resolver‘s Better Than What? arrived in my mailbox a couple years ago, was misplaced along with some other CDs, and then more recently made it back into my awareness, and I’m so glad it did! It’s a raw punk record with plenty of rough edges, but it’s steeped in modern, crisper production quality and some damn engaging – while at the same time riotous – melodies.

Better Than What? is the debut EP of Resolver, a band featuring former members of RazorCut, The Opposition, The Clinch, and Marching Orders, none of whose music I’ve ever heard, but then again I’m not super-knowledgeable about Australian street punk. What I am more familiar with is what damn good music sounds like, and this is, indeed, that.

The whole record surges relentless forward, providing seven songs of raucous energy. “Better Than What?” kicks things off, as a steady rhythm section, slightly-distorted buzzy axework, commanding lead vocals, and well-placed supporting vocals combine to form a catchy, memorable rock song, heavily punk in attitude but with steady yet understated broader-appeal axework, and a melody, too, that’ll reach fans well beyond a core punk rock audience.

“Beast” is another fast-paced, broader-appeal number, and again it’s the guitarwork that’s the most obvious key contributor to gaining the attention of a more mainstream audience, but that’s only because Resolver’s music stems from the brand of raw-yet-melodic punk rock that has always spun off an occasional crossover hit.

All seven songs continue in the same vein, each with their own nuances. For example, the drums play a key role in the appeal of “Mind Control,” as do some subtle key changes and guitar patterns that you’d more expect to hear from a pop-metal band. And album-closer “To Grow is a Privelege” has a singalongable, occasionally repeated lyric that seems to cycle faster as the song goes along, drawing the listener in.

If you’re a fan of raw, energetic Australian street punk (their words; I’m not sure exactly what would distinguish that subgenre), you probably already know and love Resolver. Other punk rockers are likely to dig this music, as well. And broader rock fans whose tastes don’t necessarily skew toward raw punk, like me, will connect with some of the broader pop and rock elements in Resolver’s songs. Therefore, Resolver’s Better Than What? is a record all rock ‘n roll fans should check out.

Single Review: Siobhan Bodrug – “Monster”

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photo courtesy of Cameron Carpenter

Single Review of Siobhan Bodrug: “Monster”

Toronto’s acclaimed rising star Siobhan Bodrug showcases her powerful vocals on the deep, dark, torchy “Monster.”

Indeed the topic of the song is heavy. Bodrug is quoted as explaining in her press release that “‘Monster’ tells the story of a toxic, complicated relationship. It deals with the mental torment of hiding behind an innocuous facade versus meeting the person head on. ‘One minute it’s love, the next it’s fire… Is it a cover for something? Or just the cold hard truth?’ The chorus ends with the most difficult question of all – as a child dealing with an adult situation – ‘will the monster take away my youth?’ The story however, takes an unexpected turn of self-realization in the bridge – ‘you’re a beast, you’re a beauty, and I’m just like you’.”

image courtesy of Cameron Carpenter

See, I told you it was deep. And dark. And heavy.

The song itself starts with a slow organ fade-in and Bodrug’s old-fashioned smoky jazz joint wails before adding other musical elements. Her voice sounds truly anguished but in a beautifully engaging way. It soars, and oh wow, some of the notes she hits! Then there’s the bridge and chorus. A powerfully engaging lead-in and chorus that’ll have you closing your eyes and soaking it in. Soulful. Memorable. And as I noted at the beginning, dark and torchy.

photo by Bronwen Lewis; photo courtesy of Cameron Carpenter

If you add this to your playlist, your ears will perk up every time you hear it begin because you know you’re in for a soak-it-in musical experience. And be sure to give it at least a few listens. It keeps getting better as you discover more nuances. Peel the onion. You know you’re a monster, too!

Looking Ahead

Bodrug has played on some big stages in the past year. Be sure to periodically check the “Shows” page of her website to see if and when she’s performing near you. At the moment, the website lists just 3 November shows in Canada, in the cities of Ottawa, Paris, and London, Ontario. (I swear to god, I’ve driven between Hamilton and London at least a couple dozen times over the years, and I never noticed Paris.)