Category Archives: Single Reviews

Single Review: Deaf Rat – “Say Your Lies”

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photo by Georgios Grigoriadis; photo courtesy of BJF Media

Single Review of Deaf Rat: “Say Your Lies” (AFM Records)

Sweden’s Deaf Rat are vocalist Frankie Rich and guitarists Pat Kramer and Max Lander. “Say Your Lies” is the band’s most recent single.

image courtesy of BJF Media

Upon first glance at the main lyric, you might think this is simply an updated, more tuneful, more verbose “Shout at the Devil,” and in a roundabout way it isn’t entirely not that, but Deaf Rat’s “Say Your Lies” has a touch more harmonies, tunefulness, and soaring power. And, of course, it’s catchy. You’ll find yourself singing along to “Say your lies before the devil,” but don’t sleep on the guitar hook, which is pretty cool, too. You can hear the classic hard rock influences in the song, elements from guitar-based, anthemic hard rock’s ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s heyday, replete with a pulsing rhythm sure to induce moderate-tempo headbanging and/or air guitar swaying – seriously, there’s some awesome guitar solo shredwork that’s perfect for air guitaring. But Deaf Rat avoids going full-on retro; the band’s style and crisp but heavy production tap into the soaring power of modern melodic hard rock, kind of like AFM Records labelmates Lansdowne but with a more old-school melodic vocal style.

“Say Your Lies” is accompanied by a cool animated lyric video that’s definitely worth checking out.

photo by Georgios Grigoriadis; photo courtesy of BJF Media

A Little Farther Back

In mid-2023, Deaf Rat released its prior single, “Schizophrenic Part of Me.” Melodic hard rock, full of power and wall of sound. Harmonies. Every bit as catchy as “Say Your Lies.” It’s been a while since the last full album from these guys. It’s been since 2019, when Deaf Rat released Ban the Light, and as kickass as the group’s sound was on that disc, judging from the pair of singles the band has released in the past year, Deaf Rat has leveled up. I’m psyched for a full-length album from these kick-ass rockers… soon, I hope?

 

 

Single Review: Wyn & the White Light – “Can the World Change”

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photo by Marion Earley; photo courtesy of Wyn Doran

Single Review of Wyn & the White Light: “Can the World Change”

Wyn & the White Light are 2023 New England Music Awards Female Performer of the Year nominee Wyn Doran and, presumably, the White Light: Lucia Jean (bass/vocals) and Heidi Tierney (drums/vocals). The day after Christmas, this trio dropped “Can the World Change,” a song about Wyn’s near-death experience in her twenties, an event that landed her in the hospital for a week and a half, starting the day after Christmas. (There you have the inspired connection to the December 26th release date.)

cover art by Wyn Doran and Lucia Jean; image courtesy of Wyn Doran

“Can the World Change” is a soaring, haunting, whirling cauldron of pop-rock energy. If done with just an acoustic guitar, it could be a haunting folk song, but the extra instrumentation turns the song into a cyclonic listening experience. The lyrics are minimalist but incisive, guided by a Ben Folds “six line” songwriting challenge, and exceptionally effective. This isn’t a song to sing along to. This isn’t a song to dance along to. It is a song to be felt and experienced. And with that as the goal, Wyn & the White Light have achieved it exceptionally well.

More Recently

As is so often the case, with my extensive review backlog right now, even though I received an advance copy of this single, I’m reviewing “Can the World Change” nearly three months after its release date, and Wyn & the White Light have released more music since then. “Statue” (featuring Josh Knowles, whose impressive talent I wrote about in my coverage of the “Behind the Songs 2” event a few years ago) dropped in late February. And on March 19, Wyn & the White Light released their first album, Luck, featuring “Can the World Change,” “Statue,” and eight more tracks.

Looking Ahead

You can catch Wyn & the White Light live on April 13th at The Overlook in Lowell, MA.

Single Review: Cascando – “Jimmy Boy”

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photo courtesy of Cobra Promotions

Single Review of Cascando: “Jimmy Boy”

Cascando is a Limerick, Ireland-based roots rock band. “Jimmy Boy” was the first single from Cascando’s EP In Absence of Trees. It was recorded in September 2023, just a couple months before its release.

The song opens with a catchy, twangy guitar hook, driving forward with a foreboding tone and rough harmonies. There’s a flute solo about a minute in that just adds to the song’s unique vibe. The rhythm is steady throughout, carrying an energy from beginning to end that is certain to keep nightclub audiences engaged. A hard ending with an organ chord, too, works well while adding another unique flavor to this musical recipe. “Jimmy Boy” has kind of an alt-rock vibe but with some unique instrumentation that shifts its categorization toward the roots rock category. Alt-roots, perhaps? I suppose you’d need to sample more of Cascando’s offerings to get a sense.

photo courtesy of Cobra Promotions

I would expect “Jimmy Boy” to be a crowd favorite at live gigs, and even just to hear a live performance of this original (since I’ve yet not delved deeper into Cascando’s catalog) would be enough to convince me to turn out for one of the band’s live performances.

Now, I don’t see mention of any upcoming gigs at the band’s linktree, but you might want to watch Cascando’s Instagram page for future show announcements.

Single Review: Harlem Lake – “Carry On”

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cover artwork: Illustration by Douwe Dijkstra, design by Janne Timmer; image courtesy of Big D Radio Promotons

Single Review of Harlem Lake: “Carry On”

Harlem Lake is a powerful Dutch blues/blues-rock outfit, winners of the 10th European Blues Challenge in 2022. The band features the powerhouse vocals of Janne Timmer and the musicianship of Dave Warmerdam (organ, Rhodes [keyboard], backing vocals), Sonny Ray Van den Berg (guitar), Benjamin Torbijn (drums), and Kjelt Ostendorf (bass, backing vocals).

“Carry On” is my first exposure to Harlem Lake’s music, and this song really packs a punch. It has a psychedelic ’70s guitar style, soulful blues vocals that are sensual and/or booming as required in the moment, a bit of a Beatles’ “Come Together”-ish vibe (I keep expecting to hear the lyric “juju eyeball”) except much louder and harder rockin’, and a huge, pounding, rhythmic beat that circles back onto itself, sequentially building in power, exploding into the lyrics, more powerful each time, “Carry on, baby. Carry on, and be a bad, bad boy.” Following the big musical outburst just past the song’s mid-point, “Carry On” devolves (or, perhaps, progresses) into an orgasmic organ and guitar-fueled jam. The song softens one more time, making room for just one more verse, before ending with one final explosive instrumental jam.

The Beatles reference notwithstanding, Harlem Lake’s “Carry On” is akin to the kind of powerful, pulsing blues-rock you’d expect from the likes of George Thorogood, perhaps with a bit of Janis Joplin thrown in for psychedelic good measure. Beginning to end, “Carry On” is a powerhouse song, one that concludes far sooner than you might expect at just 3:09, especially since it seems like such fertile ground for big instrumental solos and jamming – something I’d hope happens live in concert, at least sometimes – but that’s plenty of time to leave you, the listener, exhausted yet ready for just one more ride, if you don’t mind.

Harlem Lake bills itself as Americana blues rock, but “Carry On” is just a whole lotta rock, a fair amount of blues, and not so much Americana. I look forward to digging deeper into the band’s catalog to get a better sense of its full musical range.

Looking Ahead

Harlem Lake has a packed schedule of concert dates this spring and summer, according to the “Shows” page of the band’s website. On Saturday, March 16th, the band will be performing in Purmerend, Netherlands. After that the band’s website shows several more concerts in France, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Norway, running from now through summer, with a few fall shows booked, as well. You can find additional details at the band’s website. Of course, be sure to check back periodically as more shows are added.

Single Review: Kelsey Blackstone – “505”

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cover art by HanFran Studio; image courtesy of Kelsey Blackstone

Single Review of Kelsey Blackstone: “505”

Kelsey Blackstone is one of New England’s rising young singers. Rather, I suppose, now she’s one of Nashville’s, but she was still in the Northeast when this song was recorded, so for this single, at least, it’s unambiguous. A few months ago, I reviewed Kelsey’s single with Jason LaPierre “When I’m With You,” which was a Video of the Year nominee at the 2023 New England Music Awards, so this isn’t her first appearance here at the blog.

photo by Ben Crocker; photo courtesy of Kelsey Blackstone

Kelsey’s newest single is a cover of Arctic Monkeys’ “505,” that’s relatively faithful, particularly early on, except that Kelsey’s vocals are crisper and she exudes more power, especially as the song builds, serving up a more dynamic vocal performance that gives her rendition a bit more vibrancy. The variances from the original aren’t huge or dramatic at first, but they are sufficient to give the song a fresh, updated feel, even at the beginning, as the original has a graininess that pegs it quite emphatically to its decade. Kelsey also uses well-placed horns on her cover, giving her “505” a more classic, timeless feel. In fact, classicness seems to be Kelsey’s calling card, creating a sound that doesn’t exactly sound modern, but neither is it dated. It’s more the way a jazz singer might voice pop songs, emotively and a little provocatively, if I had to try to describe it. As “505” progresses, the updates become more noticeable. For example, Kelsey’s soundbed is richer, eschewing the production preferences of the original’s period, and the energy and intensity her vocals reach as they surge during the latter half of the song give this version a hearty cathartic release in lieu of a portion of the longingly aching, melancholic quality of the original.

photo by Ben Crocker; photo courtesy of Kelsey Blackstone

I also spent a fair bit of time trying to figure out who Kelsey’s vocals remind me of on this song. And it’s not an exact match, but the shape of her vowels and her delivery cadence are reminiscent of a young singer I spoke very highly of in this blog several years ago, Sophia Ward of TOS. There aren’t a lot of Sophia’s songs available online for comparison anymore, but if you’ve heard Sophia sing, you’ll notice the similarities.

Suffice it to say, Kelsey Blackstone has delivered a cool version of “505,” true enough to the original to be easily recognizable and appreciated by Arctic Monkeys fans while altered enough, as all good covers should be, to reflect her own style and strengths. Also, with the way the “505” builds and the kind of frenetic energy it wields, particularly in the song’s second half before its cathartic, buzzy final few seconds, this cover should really get the joint jumpin’ during a live performance.

photo by Ben Crocker; photo courtesy of Kelsey Blackstone

Looking Ahead

There are no shows currently listed on the “Tour” page of Kelsey’s website, nor are there any listed on her Bandsintown concert page. But be sure to keep an eye on both of those spots – and her Instagram page – to find out when and where she’ll appear next.

Single Review: The Palms – “Ready or Not”

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photo courtesy of DRPR

Single Review of The Palms: “Ready or Not”

The Palms are indie rock duo Johnny Zambetti and Ben Rothbard. “Ready or Not” is the second single from the band’s upcoming Wonderland album.

The song is a light, airy, strumming number that brings to mind carefree summer days. It’s a song you might blare from your convertible while cruising the streets on a nice summer night. Or during a day at the beach. The vocals are lo-fi and grainy, even a little tinny, as is the guitar, which keeps things moving with its steady rhythm, punching up the forcefulness on every fourth beat. Yeah, the lyrics are about “the shit that’s goin’ down,” but the vibe is so groovy, how can you worry? And there’s the occasional “oo-oo” in the background that helps facilitate the unserious feel.

“Ready or Not” is a cool song with potential appeal if you like the poppier, more laid-back side of indie rock. Or if you simply like a well-written song with a catchy groove.

More Recently

“Ready or Not” was a November 10th release. Since then, from early January until the beginning of March, The Palms were on a nationwide tour supporting the Magic City Hippies. On the song-release front, the Palms have released three more singles: “Pretenders” on December 15th, “Maggie’s Garden” on January 26th, and “Jesse Jane” on February 23rd. These songs consolidate The Palms’ grainy, catchy alt-rock style, though each has its own character. For example, “Jesse Jane” showcases some dream-pop influences that aren’t as readily apparent on the other tracks – well, maybe a little on “Pretenders,” but not as obviously. In other words, there’s some variety among The Palms’ song catalog, and that’s always a good thing.

Looking Ahead

The Palms’ plan to release Wonderland, a full-length album that will include “Ready or Not,” on April 5th. An album release party is scheduled for Aviator Nation Dreamland in Malibu, CA on April 6th. The Palms don’t have any other tour dates planned, but when they do, you’ll be able to find them here on the “Tour” page of the band’s website.

Single Review: Speed Limit – “Shine Brighter Than the Sun”

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photo courtesy of NRT-Records

Single Review of Speed Limit: “Shine Brighter Than the Sun” (NRT-Records)

This past fall, Austrian classic heavy metal veterans Speed Limit released the single “Shine Brighter Than the Sun” (with “Destiny’s Calling” as its B side). It was the second single from the band’s June 2023 NRT-Records release Cut a Long Story Short.

Speed Limit – Shine Brighter Than the Sun cover photo

image courtesy of NRT-Records

The current line-up of Speed Limit consists of Chris Pawlak (bass, vocals), Hannes Vordermeyer (drums, lead vocals), Chris Angerer (guitar, vocals), and Joe Eder (guitar, vocals). Pawlak and Angerer have been in the band since its 1986 debut release Prophecy, with Eder also joining the band just a few years into its run. Vordermeyer is a 2107 addition to the Speed Limit line-up.

Single “Shine Brighter Than the Sun” sports heavy, crashing skinswork, serious guitar speed, and edgy-but-tuneful vocals. In true classic metal style, though the beat is pounding and pulsating, there’s a soaring power, and there are moments of guitar shredding that are as likely to be found in progressive rock as in a classic metal song.

photo courtesy of NRT-Records

The single’s B side, “Destiny’s Calling,” features a churning rhythm, a guitar line that’s grindingly steady, a bit of axe virtuosity, and soaring vocals. A fast beat drives the song forward, and prominent heavy metal choir-like backing vocals are featured where appropriate.

Both songs on this two-sided single are fun, energetic listens that would likely be AOR hits during album-oriented heavy-rock’s apex years.

Stylistically, Speed Limit would be an ideal concert pairing with Judas Priest.

photo courtesy of NRT-Records

Looking Ahead

There aren’t a lot of upcoming dates currently listed on Speed Limit’s Bandsintown page. Additionally, the Bandsintown listing appears to populate the “Speed Limit Live” section toward the bottom of the band’s main web page. Both locations list upcoming shows in Graz, Austria on May 3rd and in Salzburg, Austria on October 3rd, 2024. The venues’ websites don’t list those shows, though, so I would suggest checking with the venue box offices to confirm the concert dates and for ticket information.

Single Review: Evick – “To Whom It May Concern”

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image courtesy of Head First Entertainment

Single Review of Evick: “To Whom It May Concern”

Pete Evick was the guitarist for Some Odd Reason, a band that released the album To Whom It May Concern on Sol 3 Records in 1998. Later, as lead singer of Evick, Pete began to reimagine and rerecord some of the material he had written for Some Odd Reason, including, in 2002, “To Whom It May Concern.” A hard drive crash seemingly lost those re-recordings, but 21 years later, the song has been resurrected and released. Pete chose to use the raw, stripped-down vocals from that original recording for this 2023 single release.

“To Whom It May Concern” begins and ends with the phrase “I used to believe in God,” and it chronicles Pete’s struggles with faith, notably though not exclusively during times of war. Pete’s hoarse, gravelly vocals recall singers like Bret Michaels, with “To Whom…” being particularly reminiscent of Poison’s “Something to Believe In.”

Evick’s “To Whom It May Concern” is rawer than the Some Odd Reason original, enhancing the potency of the song’s emotion. The song begins with just vocals and piano from that 2002 demo, with musical support building and becoming more powerful as the song progresses. There’s also a nifty little guitar solo in a late-song bridge that’s worth noticing.

Pete’s role as the Bret Michaels Band’s guitarist is an interesting coincidence – I didn’t realize that connection when I originally compared Pete’s vocals on this song to Bret’s. Still, you can probably guess how you’ll feel about “To Whom It May Concern” based on your answer to the question “Do you like Poison’s ballads, like ‘Something to Believe In’?” If you do, then this song will be right up your alley.

To stay up-to-date on Pete Evick’s latest goings-on, be sure to follow him on Facebook or Instagram. Or you can visit evick.com, where Pete is selling his books, MTV Famous and The Moments That Make Us.

Single Review: Voodoo Circle – “Sweet Devotion”

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Voodoo Circle

photo courtesy of BJF Media

Single Review of Voodoo Circle: “Sweet Devotion” (AFM Records)

Voodoo Circle is Alex Beyrodt (guitars), David Readman (vocals), Mat Sinner (bass), and Markus Kullman (drums). In December, this rock band marked its 15th anniversary by releasing 15 Years of Voodoo, a “best of” collection that features past favorites plus two brand new tracks. One of two new songs, “Sweet Devotion”, was released as a single a few weeks before the album dropped.

“Sweet Devotion” is a twisting, sidewinder of a rock ‘n roll song, a bit reminiscent in the opening of Aerosmith’s “Sweet Emotion,” primarily the delivery of the “ee” in “sweet,” though the song overall falls into the soaring, screaming subcategory of classic hard rock, exhibiting much more than just a little Whitesnake vibe throughout, sometimes roaring but at other times slowing down and tunefully soaring.

“Sweet Devotion” is a tightly performed, heavy classic rocker, one you’ll definitely want to experience for yourself. For those who haven’t heard of Voodoo Circle, this song will be a great entry point. And for those who have heard the band’s previous albums, “Sweet Devotion” is likely to become a quick favorite.

Looking Ahead

The “tour” page of the band’s website doesn’t list any upcoming dates. Neither does the band’s Facebook page, though that looks a bit more active, so it might be a better way to follow the band.

Single Review: Simon Scardanelli – “Without You – Live in Sanremo”

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Simon Scardanelli – "Without You – Live in Sanremo"

image courtesy of Simon Scardanelli

Single Review of Simon Scardanelli: “Without You – Live in Sanremo”

We’ve reviewed Simon Scardanelli‘s music many times here at the Blog; most recently I reviewed his “Fish Out of Water” single in September.

His newest single, “Without You – Live in Sanremo,” has a cool backstory. SanremoSenior is an international competition for “over 34” solo singers and singer-songwriters. Simon entered “Without You” into the 2023 competition. (You can hear a 2018 studio recording of the song here.) His entry was accepted, so he traveled to Sanremo, Italy in October 2023 for the competition. After a semifinal performance, Simon made it through to the “Grand World Final” where his performance earned him third place in the “over 60” singer-songwriter category at SanremoSenior. “Without You – Live in Sanremo” is a recording of his award-winning performance. (You can see a video of the performance here.)

Simon Scardanelli

photo courtesy of Simon Scardanelli

“Without You” is a song that you can quickly identify as one of Simon’s even if you’ve not heard it before. The live performance is relatively simple, a softly-picked guitar and an emotional voice that sings softly sometimes, cracks with power other times, and quivers just enough to imbue intense feeling into the song at opportune moments. The song has a flowing tempo and an effectively varying vocal pacing that should not be unfamiliar to those who’ve heard a lot of music from his catalog. But even though the music and vocals swoop in an ebb and flow, “Without You” doesn’t contain some of the seemingly ominous overtones that so often accompany the songs Simon delivers in this style – or, at least, those of his songs I associate with this style – resulting in a pleasant listen that’s not simultaneously a little disquieting for a change.

A lot of care was taken to get a studio-quality sound from this festival performance – Simon discusses some of the recording and mixing details on the Bandcamp page for this song. The result is a great song with a bit of live-performance energy, distinguishing it from a studio recording.

Looking Ahead

The “Shows” page of Simon’s website lists more than a dozen upcoming performances, all in France, beginning with a March 9th performance at Café de La Forge in Guillac and extending through an August 15th gig at Pap ‘Oyo in Plougasnou. You can find additional details at the website; be sure to check back periodically as new shows are added.

And, of course, as Simon never seems to take a break from being creative, he is currently working on a new album.