A new release from The Farewell State hits anthemic alternative rock tonality and does so with a vast undertone of this vibe of late 90s underground rock bands that you read about in magazines and go and find their track on LimeWire for Napster, so it comes with such a great sort of character that's delivered but it also has an almost nostalgic undertone for me because I grew up with stuff just like this.
"Year Zero" breeds as much color as it does edginess but it's this energy that really reaches out and grabs you because it gives off an almost live performance feel like the players involved are feeding off of each other the entire time and this gives the song the air of being alive and breathing in its own way.
The guitar work on this track is outstanding and there's all kinds of great layering done by the instruments, so you have a great textural flow with tremolo-effected guitars and sort of bluesy lead hooks that float in and out of the song's ether.
The whole thing really creates a great atmosphere that you get pulled right into and the song has a great persona to it.
One of the things I really love about this track is how it's a heavy song but it's also melodic and tasteful and at times it even feels theatrical to me.
Backing vocals pop in and out adding more depth to the track and multiple riffs really stick in your head for hours or even days after the song is ended and that's something that you don't get often.
Guitar hooks or any kind of actual musical hooks or something that I miss at all different kinds of genres.
I totally understand that the focus is more on a chorus, or a vocal hook and this track has plenty of those as well, but they are just as many or maybe even more guitar hugs than vocal hugs and I think that's astounding because that's what rock is about in a certain way.
The arrangements also super well done because it's got these swells and sways to them where there are builds up into explosive choruses like the final one for example where it gets all soft and becomes just vocals and guitars before that last banger of a chorus hits and by that point, you can sing right along with it.
This track is a fist-in-the-air rock banger that hits all the sweet spots and more and delivers an almost arena rock vibe and tone with a gusto and vibrancy that is completely infectious.
There are also elements of cinematic backbone at times during this track cuz it does have a little bit of vastness and its underbelly and I like that as well, and when I say cinematic, I mean it feels almost like an old western for a few moments and that has to do with the tremolo guitar and those bluesy leads being played along with them so you have this film-esque type of soundscape at times.
There are definitely layers to be peeled back lyrically and the song hits hard where it needs to so I'm going to go ahead and give this track an 8 out of 10 easily because it's got all these great arrangements, guitar work, charisma, fire, attitude, energy and it's everything an ant making massive rock song should deliver.
This was a killer track from The Farewell State and we certainly are going to be keeping our eye out for whatever comes next from this band.
Check this track out right now and don't be afraid to turn it up.
Comments