The Scarlet Goodbye – Panic & Blame
Genre: Soft Rock, 90s Rock, Pop Rock
Pop songs are designed to be as simple as can be, readymade for the whistler waiting for the bus or the lady doing chores around the house. Still, why aren’t there more great pop songs if it’s that easy to write one? Well, a good deal of trouble has to do with the way that those simple ingredients are put together.
Some, like Noel Gallagher, come along with a clear idea of what they want their songs to sound like. Or, if they don’t have that image in their head yet, they can just take it from another, more successful groups.
But, every other musician has to learn by trying and failing. One of the things about trying for enough time is that inevitably you get better. Pop music, simple as it is, functions by the same rules.
The Scarlet Goodbye’s Panic & Blame is an easy-breezy love-lorn affair that relies heavily on 1990s pop-rock elements. But, wait! Open your ears wide enough, and you will hear the sound of experience. These are knowledgeable writers with a good idea about what works for them and, thus, capable of making good artistic choices. Sometimes it’s not just pure energy that drives guitar music forward.
Black Pistol Fire – Bad Habit
Genre: Indie Rock
Full disclosure: we love Black Pistol Fire! I mention this only because I don’t want this review to ever be judged as some kind of pat on the back. We’re honest about our favorites, and about picking favorites. After all, there wouldn’t be much sense in reviewing rock music if it didn’t actually hit a particularly sweet spot.
The world of garage-rock theatrics is not for the faint of heart or for the ones that don’t possess terrific stamina. Musical abilities aren’t the prime requirement in running a successful group of this kind. The ability to wear out an audience with your energy, however, is. If you manage to add the sort of vocals that comfortably cut through the kind of loud mix endorsed by these sorts of bands, and if you have strong melodies to spare, you are certainly alright in our book.
But, there’s only so far that you can go with three chords and a roaring, electrified version of the blues. Black Pistol Fire have already started making the changes toward the modern sound, one that is not afraid to embrace technology and musical trends. Bad Habit sees the duo throw their hat into the highly-populated ring of garage-rock groups looking to disturb the pop charts. There’s enough energy and hooks to make one believe in the band’s chances. As for those saddened by their endorsement of pop-rock elements, they’d best be reminded that all artists are eventually required to change.
