Deathsport – Shadow Self
Well, rock n’ roll’s been given a solid hygienic treatment a long time ago, its teeth have been fixed, and it no longer swears or throws its cigarette buds on the floor. And while the record execs are keen to assure investors that these strategies have only worked to help grow the business, a good chunk of the old faithful can no longer quite get their kicks this way.
Deathsport may be a pleasant indie-rock company creating well-produced, modern sounds, but they know how it all got started. Why were authority figures so scared of Elvis shaking his butt or Chuck Berry dancing like a a duck while wielding a guitar? Why were Black Sabbath, Sex Pistols, or any random metal band from Scandinavia deemed to be devil worshippers in their heyday?
Rock’ n’ roll used to uncover the things that our logic tells us to keep hidden. It’s not just Little Richard that theorised this, but the nearly as inspired thinker Carl Jung. This is the inspiration for Deathsport’s “Shadow Self,” a well-crafted song about the dionysian ceremony that any random rock concert could turn into. It’s a song that encourages listeners not to deny all of their urges, or at least to ask questions first. Both Mr Presley and Herr Jung would approve.
The Repeat Wheel – Dead Eyed
Every creative person ought to be forced to make a debut music album. And, the vast majority of them ought to be forced to make no more than that. In fact, I’d suggest that if you want to trick fate and create for yourself the opportunity to stay young forever, your best bet is to consume solely first records, premier paintings, and directorial debuts to satisfy your entertainment needs.
That’s my prescription, but I won’t claim it’s going to be easy. Not everyone makes such a sweet-sounding, convincing debut as The Repeat Wheel. Most first tries are rough around the edges, produced by people who can’t really tune their instruments, let alone play them. But they’re the closest thing that you’ll get to a pure, undistorted image of their creative vision. They’re childhood hopefulness before the adults start having a word about managing expectations.
And, yes, you can tell right away that The Repeat Wheel’s “Dead Eyed” is either the work of a band making its debut, or musicians who have somehow found an alternative medicine against becoming old, grizzled and cynical. The song’s lyrics may describe dysphoria and boredom. But the song is anything but that. It swings, chimes and relies heavily on these melodies that pour beautifully off the acoustic guitar chords. And if The Repeat Wheel manage to retain this enthusiasm, the world is the band’s oyster.
