Not long ago, becoming a guitar hero seemed like a better proposition than becoming an astronaut, a movie star or a president of many countries. Achieving that status meant that people would view you almost as a prophet, that riches would be thrown at you, and that your band’s singer would have to ask for approval even when they stepped out for a smoke.
But times have changed, and guitarists have had to adapt. Those who feel nostalgia over the days when Van Halen, Satriani or Malmsteen could sell millions of records on the strength of their lightning-fast soloing alone like to blame audiences. They’re just not listening as hard as they used to, right? Those who look at matters objectively know that there’s enough blame to go around.
birdsandpeople’s EP “nothing” is a reevaluation of the role of a guitar hero in 2024. Sure, there’s enough tasty, highly-technical playing here. But would Van Halen’s double-tapping really be relevant right now? No, “nothing” uses guitar playing as a vehicle to tell stories about where the world is going and how it’s affecting the people in it.
Take, for example, opening track “the wheel of WTF.” Its mournful arpeggios are pushed back only by a robotic voice feeding the listener instructions. This is music for a time when most of reality is consumed by our screen phones, and the worst aspects of it come crashing to our doors.
“this lovely alcoholism” with its hard-rocking riffs and memorable lead motif is inspired by well-dressed beggars getting stoned off cheap booze. Meanwhile, “annihilation (solaris)” takes a queue from classic Sci-Fi and give the songwriter a safe place where to run his imagination to the stars and back.
But reality does creep into dreams, of course. The closing numbers, “keep the morning yours,” part I and II, are ambient-driven, post-rock vehicles. They sound like reverie that’s about to be brutally disturbed. The songs are inspired by the first attack on Kyiv, the songwriter’s home city.
Where does it all leave? Perhaps reconsidering the role of top-notch musicians in 2024. There may not be a lot of people looking for double-handed guitar solos, but everyone’s still waiting to hear a story.
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