
Holy Roller Baby – Girl From The East Side
Charm is something of a superpower. It’s the thing that isn’t talent that can propel you to the top of any profession, particularly those in which a bit of performing is involved. There will always be politicians, singers, and actors who achieved much more fame and fortune than would’ve appeared natural based on their abilities. The secret? Almost always, it is a matter of charm.
Now rock bands as a unit can be charming, and can get by on that. But it’s a rare trait. Most bands are too worried with not missing the beat, the right chord, the next line in the song. Most bands are too preoccupied with making sure that their gear doesn’t break down on stage. But the ones that can get past those hurdles, look at an audience an seductively serenade them into their world, have it made.
Holy Roller Baby’s “Girl From The East Side” is the work of a charming band singing about charming people. It’s music that feels built to soundtrack the underground party of the chic and beautiful. The music grooves, sways, and takes its time to deliver the hook. The instrumental is reminiscent of Queens of the Stone Age, sure, but, of Homme’s band at its most laidback. The vocals bring to mind sharp post-grunge singers like Myles Kennedy. And all of that is enough for Holy Roller Baby to catch you in the band’s spell. You’ll always remember how a band made you feel the first time that you heard them and this is what Holy Roller Baby go for here.
Burp. – Cigarettes
You don’t necessarily need to hear someone’s music to know if you’ll probably like it. There are other methods that you can use. Sure, they’re not foolproof, but it’s worth trying them. It might save you time.
One strategy is to investigate what that person looks like, what they say and how they say it, and to ask yourself if basd on those things, you’d hire that person for an important office job if you had the power to give such a job away.
If the answer is “yes,” and, indeed, they would seem to make the right candidates for a serious job, then, no, you’re very unlikely to enjoy their music, unless you like prog-rock or jazz, in which case you’re asking too much of yourself anyway.
Burp. continue to sound like a band of fun-loving screwups who love pop melodies and who are using this band as an opportunity to annoy their parents who always hoped for more from their kids. Parental worries aside, “Cigarettes” shows that the musicians haven’t figured anything out just yet, and that we, the casual listeners, are the beneficiaries of their glorious confusion. Yey!