The Resonance – Desolation
Similar artists: Broder Daniel, Caesars, Hurula, Franz Ferdinand, Makthaverskan
Genre: Shoegaze, Indie Rock, Alternative Rock
Like hoola-hoops, fidget spinners, or dubstep, great staples of entertainment fall out of style every day. Is it because nobody wants them anymore? Or is it because their expiration date just seemed to come with the package?
Those things will end up in a museum if lucky or as part of a documentary making fun of the naivety of the times, if unfortunate. But what if someone really loves them? Well, then they could give them a chance at a new life.
The Resonance clearly have a fondness for the kind of rock n’ roll music that your grand-folks danced to when they were young. That’s nice and wholesome. The Ramones or The Smiths built entire careers on these affections.
Yes, The Resonance’s “Desolation” has something retro about it, but also something timeless. It’s old-time rock music for broken hearts, played with the intensity of punk and with a songwriter’s ear for great melodies. It’s the sort of music that Morrissey would love, and Jerry Finn would have loved to produce.
Max Lockwood – Lonely Gods
Similar artists: Tom Petty, Neil Young, My Morning Jacket, Wilco, Pearl Jam
Genre: Folk rock, Classic Rock, Alternative Rock
Modern poets are simply not great seducers. That’s because they expect that the world will recognize their efforts and their brilliance. Sadly, the world has no incentive to do so.
The poets end up bitter and alone, creating more works that further distance them from the world. Few have the energy to turn their face toward the world and ask it what it wants. Few are willing to make a compromise.
Max Lockwood has plenty to say. But the songwriter is also considering the ways in which he can say things and how his audience will react. This isn’t poetry meant simply to please the writer but the audience as well.
“Lonely Gods” lacks nothing in terms of lyrical depth, but it’s a song built on the kind of radio-friendly rock that has been popular for decades. The grooves and hooks echo Tom Petty or Eagles. The words dig deep but are also meant to create a connection, a bond between the audience and the artist that is difficult to break.
