Excuses Excuses – PARALYSIS
The fact is that, for all of Alt77’s efforts, people still want to listen to music that is well-recorded, nicely performed and, generally, that sounds good. Musicians putting together 30-minute performances focused on guitar feedback may be fine for some, but they won’t win many Grammys or hit the top of the charts. And, anyone who claims not to understand this is lying to themselves.
A big part of why people want good-sounding music is that it’s never easy to create it. Canadian group Excuses Excuses have every reason to feel proud. Not even top professionals in famous bands manage to do it every time. Just think for a second about all of the things required. The performances from every musician featured have to be flawless. The producer and engineers have to know exactly how to handle that sound. And the songwriting needs to be compelling.
Indeed, “PARALYSIS” by Excuses Excuses is a top-notch radio punk song. That’s not to say that the tune doesn’t have grit to it. No, just like Billy Talent, another great Canadian band, Excuses Excuses know the importance of balancing things out. This may be a song about hardships and the difficulty of overcoming mental issues. But it’s the package in which these thought-provoking ideas are delivered that will make most listeners want to hit “repeat.”
Empired – Blood on the Ceiling
Show me a well-motivated, hard-working artist and I’ll tell you that, more than likely, they’re one of the few people trying to put the world to right. On the other hand, show me a lazy rockstar content with sitting on the beach and willing to record a new album only every five years, and I’ll tell you that they’re someone who hasn’t been greatly affected by life’s grim problems, and has a hilarious sense of dark humour.
Which one would you rather get? In the end, much of a successful life is learning to manage the horrible, wanted things that happen to you or those around you. At least that’s what Californian rock group Empire has found out. You can always paint over a crack, tell a lie in order to replace the truth, or pretend that you’re someone else. But will that really bring you any comfort, or get you closer to reaching your goals?
Expired’s “Blood on the Walls” is driven by a pleasantly balanced modern rock sound, the kind that radio listeners will immediately recognise. But listen closer and you’ll find a group wrestling with some of life’s biggest hardships – caring for unwell parents and learning how not to affect them. That’s a mighty bold move, but the right strategy. Just take a listen to the greatest rock songs ever recorded, and you’ll almost exclusively find highly personal stories. Expired have had the guts to do the same with “Bloon on the Walls.”
