Tag Archives: Geoff Wilbur

Live Review: Houston Bernard and Whitney Doucet at Maynard Country MusicFest

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Houston Bernard and Whitney Doucet; photo by Geoff Wilbur

Houston Bernard and Whitney Doucet

Maynard Country MusicFest, Memorial Park, Maynard, MA

September 19, 2026

Maynard, Massachusetts held its second annual Maynard Country MusicFest yesterday at Memorial Park. The event featured arts and crafts vendors, a couple food trucks, and two of the region’s hottest country music acts, dropped into the middle of a pleasant Saturday afternoon.

I attended this as a social event rather than specifically to write a review, which means I wasn’t taking notes, so the review will be on the short side, but I did take a few photos. And heck, it was a fun event, something you’ll want to circle your calendar for next year if you’re in the area. Assuming it follows the same format again next year, it’s a short 1:00-4:00 concert, so you can enjoy your morning, zip out for some great country music in the afternoon, and get home in plenty of time for dinner.

Whitney Doucet; photo by Geoff Wilbur

Whitney Doucet

At yesterday’s event, Whitney Doucet kicked things off. If you’ve been paying attention, she has been getting plenty of attention the last couple of years, singing national anthems, opening for national acts as they swing through the area, and just generally building a buzz. I was excited to finally get out to hear her perform, doubly so after listening to a few of her recent releases on Spotify. Whitney wowed the crowd with originals like “Cowboys” and a slew of energetic covers, including Ella Langley’s  “Choosin’ Texas.” When male vocals were called for, Whitney turned to her band – notably, her bass player, who sang the Georgia Satellites’ “Keep Your Hands to Yourself.” It was an electric opening performance. Still, I’d like to catch Whitney in a different venue to hear her shine – something about the sound was off, as both the vocals and guitar were overly distorted no matter where I stood. The crowd didn’t seem to mind, and maybe I’m just being picky, but I’ve heard what she’s capable of, and I want to hear it live. (In case others noticed it, too, especially if this was their first taste of Whitney’s music, I wanted to make that point.)

Houston Bernard; photo by Geoff Wilbur

Houston Bernard

Next up was headliner Houston Bernard, and not only was the band dialed in, but the sound system was right where it needed to be for his set, allowing the assembled crowd to hear one of the Boston-area’s most talented country artists delivering a lively performance that would play exceptionally well both in a venue like this and as a tour headliner. Or, heck, at least as an opener on a major national artist’s tour.

Now, I had previously only heard Houston perform in original music-friendly environments, so I had heard him play few covers before today. Obviously, his original stuff is top-notch, but the dude knows how to nail the covers, too. He did play a few of his originals, including “You’re All I Need,” a heartfelt number that’s long been a personal favorite of mine, more recent release “Don’t Feel Like a Livin’,” and “Heartbreak in Reverse,” from Houston’s newest album, Oklahoma Stars. For that last number, the recording, a duet with Ashley Jordan, is up for a Josie Award (tonight, in fact!). Live, though, Houston was joined onstage by Whitney, and the two performed it movingly. (Oh, my! While proofreading, I just noticed it was a Whitney-Houston duet!)

Houston Bernard; photo by Geoff Wilbur

For the covers, Houston covered plenty of ground, covering a lot of rock ‘n roll and country real estate, including 4 Non Blondes’ “What’s Up,” Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” – yeah, that’s almost a must-cover for a country act these days, Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing in the Dark,” Kenny Loggins’ “Footloose,” and a song that’s having a bit of a resurgence these days, John Denver’s “Country Roads.”

This was the second consecutive Maynard Country MusicFest with Houston Bernard as headliner – last year, Ashley Jordan opened – and honestly, I think the crowd would welcome him back annually. I certainly would enjoy the opportunity to catch him out here in the outer western Boston suburbs once a year.

Also worth noting, tonight at the Josie Music Awards in Nashville, Houston is nominated for six awards, and the local music scene is pulling for him to bring home at least an award or two, but it is, indeed, an honor to be nominated.

Single Review: Michelle Held – “Another Jane”

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photo by Robert Sherrow; photo courtesy of Michelle Held

Single Review of Michelle Held: “Another Jane”

You’ve read here once before about Michelle Held, one of Michigan’s most revered and talented folk singer-songwriters. Well, she has released another single, “Another Jane,” and it’s every bit as cool as you’d expect.

Those familiar with Held know her trademark vocal warble that’s unlike anyone else’s, adding texture and layers to her performance that are uniquely Held. Her songwriting, too, is deep and insightful. On this particular song, she digs into the persona of Jane Goodall, with Held’s vocal warmth matching the thoughtful kindness of the lyrics praising Goodall, mentioning her admirable personality traits and praiseworthy approach to the world, as well as touching upon key points of Goodall’s bio, coming to the now-obvious conclusion at the end of each verse that “we could use another Jane.”

cover image by Christopher Bennett; image courtesy of Michelle Held

Of course, whether or not someone steps into the void left behind by Jane Goodall, we can all glad we have one Michelle Held. Folk music fans, songwriting fans, or I suppose fans of chimpanzees should all check out this most recent single from one of Metro Detroit’s most talented singer-songwriters.

Looking Ahead

At the moment, according to the “Concerts” page of Michelle Held’s website, she only has one upcoming show booked, as a special guest on the October 18th stop of The 50th Anniversary of the Last Waltz Tour at the Token Lounge in Westland, MI. If you’re in the Detroit area, catch her there. And/or, of course, check her website periodically as new performances are added.

Single Review: Memoira – “Ikigai (Memories)”

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photo by Soft Neon Audiovisualin/Jerkka Perälä; photo courtesy of Inverse Records

Single Review of Memoira – “Ikigai (Memories)” (Inverse Records)

It’s been a while since I’ve shared some good symphonic, progressive metal here at the blog. Well, I can be perhaps a little too picky when I choose what to review this genre, but I definitely have a good one for you tonight. Finnish soaring power-rockers Memoira serve up an engaging, catchy song with “Ikigai (Memories),” a song that mostly lives in the stratosphere but also features some crunch machine-gun-tempo guitarwork in a couple spots.

image courtesy of Inverse Records

Krista Astrid Schröter (vocals) delivers the sternly earnest yet tunefully booming vocals, while the song powers forward in a 4 1/2 minutes that just seems to fly by thanks to the musicianship of Lassi Nuolivaara (keyboards, piano), Serdar Ilter (guitars), Niko Laaksonen (bass), and Kimmo Puhakka (drums).

The song itself encourages the listeners to live their lives, with lyrics like “Let the rain wash away all your pain. Life can end in just one day. Make those memories, make those memories last” delivering its message a little abruptly – or, perhaps, directly – but with solid melodic power.

If you’re a fan of musical transitions, about a minute, there’s a nifty “ah, ah” vocal transition, and a little past the song’s midpoint, there’s a musical bridge where the keys and guitars break things down and recalibrate the song’s sound a bit before launching back into the chorus and the song’s closing stanzas.

If you’re a fan of symphonic, edgy, hard-rocking progressive metal, Memoira is a band you should hear. And “Ikigai (Memories)” is a fantastic place to start.

Single Review: Ben Reel – “Bring It Back to Life”

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image courtesy of Rhí Cobra Promotions

Single Review of Ben Reel: “Bring It Back to Life”

Ben Reel is a gravelly-voiced crooner who’ll keep you engaged beginning to end as his voice commands attention while carving a blues-based rockin’ path atop the big, sweeping soundbed of “Bring It Back to Life.” The song feels a little loungy in the very best way, with the chorus tapping into a seventies-rock energy, while the verses more recall the wordy folk-rocksmiths from the same era. At the same time, there’s an anxious edge in the song that’s very modern. Just to keep things interesting, there’s a Beatles-esque bridge.

Sure, “Bring It Back to Life” is a great song, but Reel’s exceptional vocal performance – and that voice itself! – is what really sells it. Needless to say, this will quickly become a new favorite, a song you look forward to on your daily playlist.

More Recently

“Bring It Back to Life” was an advance single from Ben’s Spirit’s Not Broken album. I’ve not yet heard any of the other tracks on the record, but it’s an exceptional promotional calling card for the full-length disc, indeed!

Single Reviews: Jennifer Tefft and the Strange – “Salt and the Sea,” “A Little More,” and “Silver”

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photo by Mike TD Photo; photo courtesy of Knyvet

Single Reviews of Jennifer Tefft and the Strange: “Salt and the Sea,” “A Little More,” and “Silver”

Kickass New England rockers Jennifer Tefft and the Strange are back! And by “back,” I mean that the 2024 New England Music Awards Album of the Year winners have released three singles over the last eight or nine months. But hey, they’re back on the Blog!

cover art by Stephen “Sharky” Beccia; image courtesy of Jennifer Tefft

“Salt and the Sea” dropped in November 2025, featuring the foursome of Jennifer Tefft (vocals, acoustic guitar), John Parrillo (guitar), Stephen “Sharky” Beccia (bass), and Tim Provost (drums), as did “A Little More,” released in February 2026. Chris Jost has taken Provost’s place on the skins, appearing in a recording for the first time on the new single “Silver,” released just last month, in June 2026.

On their trio of recent singles, Jennifer Tefft & the Strange confirm their place as one of the region’s premier straightforward guitar-driven rock bands. While this kind of music has increasingly been referred to as alternative rock, it’s the sort of music that, in previous decades, would have been radio rock and/or album-oriented rock, though an AOR band with hit single potential.

photo by John Parrillo; photo courtesy of Knyvet

“Salt and the Sea” is the Strange’s haunting yet precisely, relentlessly, methodically advancing cover of The Lumineers’ song of, obviously, the same name. Indeed, the song builds and builds, vocally and musically gaining strength but still remaining a little ethereally aloof, sonically speaking. If you’re familiar with the original, the Strange’s cover is in some ways very true to the original, but at the same time, in their hands it’s a kickass rock song. The pianowork on the original becomes an enigmatic pulsing rockin’ rhythm, and Tefft herself puts a little more of a smooth finish on the vocals. Still just as haunting, but haunting as sung by a top shelf rock vocalist.

cover art by Stephen “Sharky” Beccia; cover design by Jennifer Tefft; image courtesy of Knyvet

“A Little More” was a re-release of a song Tefft had recorded solo. This is the full-band’s rendition, noted on Bandcamp as “A Little More (Strange Version).” If I circle back and listen to the earlier recording, it was indeed stripped-down. This is very much to rock concert version, and for those of us who prefer full band performances, I absolutely dig the makeover. There’s a recent Jennifer Tefft and the Strange are a popular draw when they perform live, and it’s because of what this talented group of musicians is able to achieve as a foursome. As such, this recording of “A Little More” delivers this great song with a rich, full sound that makes it pop.

cover art by Stephen “Sharky” Beccia; cover design by Jennifer Tefft; image courtesy of Knyvet

Finally, just a few weeks ago, the band released its new single “Silver.” The rhythm section drives this not-quite-anthemic, mid-tempo, mainstream-friendly alt-rocker, while guitarist Parrillo weaves some nuanced guitarwork into the song to really make it stand out. Granted, with a powerhouse vocalist like Tefft behind the mic, every song’s going to jump off the vinyl a little, but the Strange next-levels it to be a memorable song. The line “where’s my silver lining day” might sound a little Bangles-ish, and I’ve often compared Tefft’s voice to Pat Benatar, but this song features an in-between, edgy mainstream alt-rock howl that not’s really quite either. And after hearing an album-plus of Jennifer Tefft and the Strange songs, I really think this one taps into the very best of the band’s sound, a song that seems not to call for comparison but, rather, is definitive of the band’s Strange sound. “Silver” is what a Jennifer Tefft and the Strange hit song/crowd favorite, in their identifiable sound, would sound like. Rather, does sound like.

Jennifer Tefft and the Strange are one of the region’s top bands, so if you don’t have their new material, then you’ll be psyched to hear about these new releases. And if you’re new to the band, well, hey, this is just the start. You have some back catalog to check out, too. Lucky you!

Live Review: Eva James at Sanctuary

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photo by Geoff Wilbur

Eva James

Sanctuary Bar & Lounge, Maynard, MA

July 11, 2026

I caught a tremendous, emotional performance last night from Eva James. But, of course, there’s a backstory that got me out to the performance last night, and that started last year. Occasionally, when I think I might have time to get out to cover a live show, I check out who’s playing and listen to snippets of a few of some of the artists’ songs online. Last summer, for that purpose, I checked out Eva’s music and was blown away. Ultimately, I didn’t get out to see her perform last year, but when I saw she was scheduled to play Sanctuary last night, it was an easy call. Now, I actually didn’t go listen to her music again before last night show. That was actually pretty cool because I went into last night performance without a mental picture of what to expect (other than “something good”), and that made last night’s performance just that much more powerful.

Indeed, I wasn’t the only one drawn in Eva’s performance. A talented vocalist and songwriter, Eva’s music is intimate, thoughtful, and, shall we say, not happy – with a couple exceptions, as she pointed out during the performance. There’s a cool interview with Eva in Medium, which you may want to read later, that gives more background into the difficult song topics she tackles – as the article notes correctly, mental health, anxiety, and toxic relationships, as well as physical health issues, as Eva discusses a little during her performance and on this podcast. Needless to say, for those who paid attention to the performance, it was an emotional experience. And with Eva’s powerful, evocative vocal delivery style, pretty much the entire room was dialed in unlike any audience I’ve seen in a while, at least in a cozy setting like Sanctuary’s barroom performance space.

photo by Geoff Wilbur

Eva opened the set with the touching, heartfelt “Low,” utilizing rich, full vocals to deliver a nuanced, powerful set-opener. After a couple more song, including the rich and haunting “You’re the Worst” (whew!), Eva edge into a little more storytellingish style on “Test Drive,” on which the piano added as much dramatic weight as the vocals. “Sober,” next, was heavy and lyrically deep and dark, with rich vocals against serving up powerful emotions. On “Invinceable,” next, the pianowork did some of the heavy lifting supporting her emotional vocals, which themselves stood out with precision in some of the song’s more vulnerable moments. Meanwhile, on “Northern Lights,” Eva’s vocals supported the determination of the song’s lyrics.

At that point, through just seven songs, it was already a powerful, emotional performance. And that’s just from the audience’s perspective. It seems like – in the best possible way – a peek into a therapy session, but with an exceptionally talented songwriter and musician with an impressive, evocative voice that pulls the listener in. Like an Adele who’s been through a helluva lot and shares it in her songs, maybe.

“How Are You Liking Me Now,” next offering a little different vocal edge, very soulful, kind of feeding off the vocal determination of the previous song, and the livelier pianowork and vocals provided a tempo change. “Til We Meet Again” returned to the rich soundscape, as even though the style is cohesive, each song is its own powerfully unique self, and a thoroughly engaged audience continued to be a testament to the power of Eva’s performance. Eva then concluded the initial piano-based portion of her set with a song (missed the title) with a heavy tapestry but with some interesting vocal patterns, adding, too, subtle dynamics by hitting some quick emotional higher notes earlier on and hitting some late song vocal howls. On the surface, it was an atmospheric, heavy number, but if you paid attention, you’d catch the details underneath the surface.

photo by Geoff Wilbur

Eva moved to the guitar next and it brought out a slightly different dynamic, as is typical of using a different lead instrument. I was quite fond of Eva’s song “Renegade,” though she also delivered a soft strummer, and a couple songs that brought out for me a hint of that special emotional tone you might identify with, at least to my ear, Sarah McLachlan. There was a song with a little sway to it – Eva packed the mid-section of her performance with a bit of variety, albeit all within her very identifiable style.

At this point, there was  a bit of a disturbance in the bar, and after deciding it wouldn’t be quieting down any time soon, I moved my chair into the middle of the performance room, much closer to the performer, to better hear this exceptional artist. From my new perch, I quickly found myself again absorbed by the set, which continued with “Something New,” a memorable, completely crowd capturing number. The powerful “Devastate Me” and another number whose title I missed but that elicited a powerful reaction from the audience followed.

Then came “Wildfire,” and oh, this song could be big. It featured really engaging dynamics, with depth and some of those big, powerful moments, not just musically but vocally, too. I must admit, by this point my notetaking began to fall off a bit, but it’s definitely worth mentioning “Seratonin,” with its cool energy, a nice rhythm, and overall an enjoyable song.

photo by Geoff Wilbur

I noted an almost country-folk hint in “The One You Lose,” not really the musical style but many of the same personally engaging elements. Of course, most of all it’s a memorable lyric that stuck with me from that song: “In another life, I’d be the one you choose. Instead, I’m just the one you lose.” Not just the lyric, of course, but also the delivery. Still it also got me thinking and realizing that all of these songs could probably move easily across genres based on their arrangements. And that makes sense. They’re deeply personal, emotional, and human. Eva’s a helluva songwriter, and a good song is genre-elastic.

There were just three songs left at this point. Following a soft, haunting number, Eva delivered “Overboard,” noting is as her “other happy song”; indeed, it’s sonically similar to Eva’s whole catalog but there’s a hint of softness. And she finished the show with “The Way,” a particular favorite among those in the audience who were familiar with her song catalog. I can see why it’s appealing; it’s warm and so engaging it seemed to end far too quickly and much sooner than the clock claimed. Hard not to get choked up with lyrics like “when there’s nothing left to say, only love can light the way.”

And therein lies the paradox of an Eva James performance. So much of it is so heavy and emotional and dark, yet hearing her perform, even singing about tough times and darkness, is joyful. I’m so glad I made it out to Sanctuary last night. This was one of the most moving live performances I’ve heard in a long, long time. Eva James is an amazingly talented young woman, and one of her performances (or more than one, obviously) is something any music fan should experience.

Single Review: The Dollyrots – “Attention Span”

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photo by Jen Rosenstein; photo courtesy of Earshot Media

Single Review of The Dollyrots: “Attention Span” (Wicked Cool Records)

The Dollyrots are the husband-wife duo of Kelly Ogden (bass, vocals) and Luis Cabezas (guitar), and I feel like the Dollyrots’ catchiness is well-known, even among those who haven’t heard their music before. But if that’s the case, well, the band’s new release “Attention Span” is a good place to start. It’s a fun, energetic song with the spirit of old-school punk, the hookiness of modern pop-punk, and an energetic joy that’ll appeal well beyond either of those categories of music fans. (The band itself, in its Instagram bio, refers to itself as a “bubblegum punk band,” and yeah, that sounds like a perfect description.)

image courtesy of Earshot Media

The sound itself is throwback. In fact, this seems like something Cher and her friends might listen to in Clueless. The movie, not the TV show. As if! The opening guitar riffs are raw and staticky, but once the song kicks in they’re crisper and tunefully crunchy, driving the song forward along with the rhythm section (with John Fields providing drums on this recording), both leaving enough soundspace to feature the vocals.

What does all that mean? It means that this is a catchy, fun song you’re likely to get into really quickly. Like, by the end of the first listen. Totally. But in all seriousness, this is a seriously fun song!

 

Album Review: Greg Nagy – Just a Little More Time

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photo courtesy of Greg Nagy

Album Review of Greg Nagy: Just a Little More Time

One of Michigan’s elite bluesmen is back again with an extraordinary new album. Five originals, six covers, a style all his own, and one of the best, most versatile blues-based voices you’ll ever here – blues, soul, swing… the man can do it all. That’s Greg Nagy and his newest album, Just a Little More Time.

The album opens like a big, brash, live stage show, with its title track sauntering in full of horns, swagger, a little playfulness in the lead vocals, and a whole lot of playfulness in the instruments, plus some occasional but well-placed background vocals. “Just a Little More Time” gives a peek at Nagy’s range; it’s a Greg Nagy original, so it’s almost as if he knows how to write to his own full range. And by that I mean yes, that’s exactly how it is.

image courtesy of Greg Nagy

That’s followed by a full-on, hornsy rendition of Guitar Slim’s “It Hurts to Love Someone” before returning to another original, the smoothly instrumented “Breaking Me,” this time leaning on emphatic organ and nifty guitarwork to augment Nagy’s blues-meets-soul vocal style.

“Between the Darkness and the Light” draws upon some psychedelic, ’70s-styled, funky blues rock guitar and organ to serve up a slappin’, groovy, rhythmically mid-tempo arena-worthy number, replete with frantic, distorted rock fretwork that’d put lava lamp-era bands to shame.

How do you follow that? With a smooth “Love Letter,” of course. The cool, brassy slow song comes with a story (told here by Greg on Facebook), a big, sweeping song from the late Bobby Murray’s final 2021 album, Love Letters From Detroit. Michiganders will dig the reference to Woodward Avenue, if you haven’t heard the song before, as I hadn’t. Nagy serves up some of his biggest, boomingest vocals on this song, delivering all the power and emotion it deserves.

photo courtesy of Greg Nagy

Such big vocals, in fact, that they apparently couldn’t be followed, vocally anyway. The next track, “My Buddy,” is a playful, funky blues instrumental, with some well-placed keys and bass helping carry the load. It reminds me a bit of the instrumentals blues pianist Bob Malone slides into his albums, songs with so much character they don’t need vocals. Of course, “My Buddy” is guitar-driven, whereas Bob’s are piano-based. Regardless, “My Buddy” is a cool number and a good palate cleanser because it’s followed by… wait for it…

“Only Women Bleed.” Yes, Nagy takes on Alice Cooper’s decades-old hit ballad “Only Women Bleed.” You know, the original was awfully bluesy to begin with (as I confirmed by re-listening to it), so it wasn’t as big a rearrangement as you might initially think, but even so, Nagy makes it all his own. Powerfully, with his rich, textured vocals, combined with soft guitar strums and a rich organ keyboard sound, this performance will leave a lump in your throat.

If you thought an Alice Cooper cover would be the rockin’est song on the record, you’d be wrong. The peppy, rhythmic “Big City” – a Nagy original – brings that blues rock energy and even sports an almost progressive-meets-psychedelic guitar solo in the middle of the song. I mean, the song itself is not really more than medium-tempoed, and there’s not any real guitar shredding. It really has more of a laid-back rock-meets-blues style but with a strutting, big-city vibe. But its energy is pure rock ‘n roll.

photo courtesy of Greg Nagy

A cool, laid-back rendition of “Rainy Night in Georgia” follows, with organ and horn sounds as if straight outta the ’70s. It’s followed by – again, ’70s anyone? – the Grateful Dead’s “Sugaree.” Actually, no, technically it was from Jerry Garcia’s first solo album, and it was Garcia’s only-ever solo Billboard Hot 100 hit. In Nagy’s hands, it’s a smooth, hit-worthy, mid-tempo rockin’ blues tune.

The final song on this impeccably curated collection is a nearly ten minute long, full-on slow-motion blues jam cover of John Lee Hooker’s “I’m in the Mood for Love.” And that, my friends, is the way to close an album!

More Recently

Since the release of Just a Little More Time, Nagy has released a pair of covers, both slow-paced, bluesy Nagy-ized yet respectful renditions of a pair of classics. In April, he released a mellowly delivered rendition of “Georgia on My Mind.” Then, in mid-June, his cool cover of Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me” dropped.

If you’re like me, every Greg Nagy release is a welcome new listen. So if you’re new to Greg Nagy’s music and like blues music at all, start with Just a Little More Time and then work both forward and backward to keep discovering one of Michigan’s best bluesmen.

Single Reviews: The Ringer Soundtrack – “In Real Time” and “Voicemail”

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photo by Sean Hall @ PowerPro Media; photo courtesy of Knyvet

Single Reviews of The Ringer Soundtrack: “In Real Time” and “Voicemail”

Boston’s The Ringer Soundtrack has a sound that’s a blend of pop and alt-rock, and the two singles that have found their way to my inbox in the last year represent different ends of the band’s musical spectrum, from distorted heavy-sounding slow rock (“In Real Time”) to a lighter, poppier version of alt-rock (“Voicemail”).

image courtesy of Knyvet

The Ringer Soundtrack – Mick Coyne (vocals and piano), Brandon Forbes Dalrymple (guitars), and Ross Goodwin (bass) – serve up a modern sound that harkens back to the college rock bands of two or three decades ago, putting their personal spin on a style that’s both timeless and a little underrepresented sonically these days, offering the band a chance to claim its own slice of the modern music landscape… or pie, if I don’t want to mix metaphors.

As much as I stand by the sound comparison, the opening distortion field of “In Real Time” is most decidedly modern, its warped notes opening into a distorted guitar riff that dominates the sound field – the static field seeming impossibly almost visible – before vocals enter more than a minute in, serving up an alt-pop, broad audience appealing, almost radio-friendly tunefulness. The song remains widely accessible, leaning into its pop influence vocally and lyrically while refusing to discard its distorted sacrificial offering to the college guitar rock gods. You’ve heard all of these musical ingredients before, but there’s just something a little unique within the particular recipe of “In Real Time.”

image courtesy of Knyvet

“Voicemail,” meanwhile, deploys less thick (but by no means light) instrumentation and embraces a little more pop-rock bounciness in its music and neatly rhythmic lead vocal cadence. It’s still a little rough around the edges, giving that raw edge you’d expect from a college rock band, and despite the increased nod to pop-rock sensibilities when compared with “In Real Time,” Dalrymple’s guitar riffs are everpresent in “Voicemail,” with the guitar line’s nuances a little more evident thanks to the lack of distortion.

When you listen to both songs, “Voicemail” serves as a nice counterpoint to “In Real Time,” confirming that The Ringer Soundtrack has range, and that’s exactly what you want from a live band (or a long-form recording). It leaves you wanting more.

photo courtesy of The Ringer Soundtrack via Knyvet

More Recently

Speaking of wanting more, just a couple weeks ago, the band provided more with its release of “Signals.” I just gave it a quick listen, as opposed to “In Real Time” and “Voicemail,” which have been part of my review queue for a while now, but “Signals” leans back toward the distorted aura of “In Real Time,” though with its own nuances, obviously. After a quick listen, “Signals” just solidifies my opinion that, if you’re an alt-rock fan, The Ringer Soundtrack ought to be on your radar.

Single Review: Rocketsuit Rogue – “The Best Last Day on Earth”

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image courtesy of Earshot Media

Single Review of Rocketsuit Rogue: “The Best Last Day on Earth”

Rocketsuit Rogue, led by former Zebrahead frontman Matty Lewis (songwriter, vocalist, guitarist), is set to release its debut album, Hello, Apocalypse!, on August 21st. “The Best Last Day on Earth” is the third (and most recent) single released in advance of the album.

The first two singles, “Our Last Parade” and “Home Sweet Home (Sweet Misery),” gave raucous, faster-than-typical pop-punk vibes, showing off some neatly blistering guitar riffs and intense vocals, with the former leaning a little more anarchic punky while the latter pegged the tunefulness harmony needle a little bit harder. When compared with the first two single releases, I think “The Best Last Day on Earth” has a much stronger chance to attract a massive crossover audience, appealing to fans spanning multiple rock ‘n roll subgenres.

photo courtesy of Earshot Media

“Best Last Day…” gets faster-paced in spots, but mostly it’s a mid-tempo, alt-rock number with radio-friendly tunefulness. The tone, tempo, and melodiousness all remind me of one of my favorite fun, uber-catchy, mid-speed rock bands, Best Not Broken. Right from the get-go, the guitar tone on “Best Last Day…” is warm and a little swoopy (by that I mean not slack but still a bit beachy), there’s some playfulness in the tempo, and the verses adeptly set up the “whoa-oh!” level-up to the power of the peppy chorus. Drum use, bent guitar lick as a transition, vocal breakdown in the late song lyrical bridge, faster tempo in the back half of the song to keep the energy up – it’s as if every hook-creating, crowd-appealing tactic has been thrown into a single song, and it all works.

So, yeah, if you like pop music, rock music, pop-punk, really anything with a guitar, you’ve gotta hear “The Best Last Day on Earth.” It may be the catchiest song you hear this year, and it might even become your song of the summer. You can thank me later.