This edition of LITM Rock Picks, features a wide range of moods from Christmas rock songs to indie-alternative, with artists Julie July, Last Relapse, Effusion 35, Strellan Wahlstrom Drift Band and Eyal Erlich.
1. Last Relapse- Everyone Dances Outside of Their Bodies
The Atlanta-based band, Last Relapse, crafts an ambient mood with their latest track ‘Everyone Dances Outside of Their Bodies’ . The track has a leisurely pace and a catchy beat, with atmospheric instrumentation, setting a brooding tone. The guitar envelops the song with soft, hazy tones while the bass and lead guitar seamlessly produce magnetic melody lines. The vocals are also smooth with mildly distorted echoes and a gentle composition. The march-like hook in the verses brings in a slightly different, more pensive vibe, and overall, we get a good synthesis of instrumentation looming over the vocals, making the track a cosy space to sit in.
2. Effusion 35- Rockin’ Coal in My Stocking
If you enjoy the concepts of grunge and Christmas melded together, you might want to check out this latest track by Philadelphia Effusion 35. We have a bit of hard rock and tongue-in-cheek with the hard rock style instrumentation and the chorus lyrics. It’s a fun take on a Christmas carol with its high-octane song with fast-paced drums and bass segment, while the guitars and vocals bring in the infectious enthusiasm. The interlude is a fun amalgamation of the instrumental compositions, giving it a fullness, layered atop the arrangement are a few sprinkles of bells singing, which nicely wraps the track up with a neat little bow. If “aggressively Christmas” were a song, this would be it!
3. Julie July Band- Risky Game
British folk rock band bring us an enigmatic track that can light up any room, called ‘Risky Game’. The song has core elements of rock but brings in a nice jazz element to it using its arrangement, such as a great call-response at the end, lots of room for improv, and has the instrumentation sound like typical jazz instruments. The guitar distortions are unique and fun, and at times, we get a saxophone-like quality to the sound of the guitar. The arrangement is lively, engaging and risky, but it works because it lands, as each instrument pipes up and down, allowing each other to take lead, almost like they’re reading each other’s minds. The vocals with an airy, feather-like quality brilliantly tie the band together.
4. Strellan Wahlstrom Drift Band – The Sleeper
The band Drift offers a laid-back pacing and hypnotic distortion in their latest track, ‘The Sleeper’. The instrumentation features a nice mix of the drums, the bass and the guitars working in synergy while the synth is layered on top of the arrangement with variations on the composition. It feels like a blend between alternative and folk rock. The song feels like a stroll down the lane of a busy metropolitan late at night. Its use of feverish distortions with the guitar, ambient synth soundscape and easy-going vocals provides a rustic charm that lingers even after the song comes to a halt.
5. Eyal Erlich- Sentimental Magic Cape
Eyal Erlich hits a home run with ‘Sentimental Magic Cape’, with smooth-textured lead vocals and mellow and fluid instrumentation. It starts strong with a guitar solo layered on top of a fast-paced combination of drums and bass, all of which nicely brings in the vocalist. The composition isn’t one-note; if fact, its arrangement is unique, avoiding the usual verse-chorus structure, giving us more of an instrument sandwich. The musicians feed off each other’s energies, taking the pace up while going off into their own improv before it comes to a halt. The overall composition features unique tones and a solid melody line that easily synergises with the soundscape.
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