The members of Crow Follow describe themselves thusly: “If X and Morphine had a baby and Tom Waits and Patti Smith stood as godparents, they’d name them Crow Follow.” Is this an accurate self-assessment? Yes, but it couldn’t possibly contain all the musical colors and hues produced by his unique musical collective.
Surviving – and thriving in – the Boston music scene, this art rock-leaning group, with touches of ‘70s progressive rock avant-garde, present their latest single, “Sylvia Sez (For Justine).” Is it daring, howling, and availing itself of the musically mundane? Let’s listen, and talk about it.
Listening (and talking about it).
“Sylvia Sez (For Justine)” starts with strumming guitars and synth horns before Crow Follow’s characteristic sonic armament, the layering “Badass Sax,” arrives.
The verse is quieter, with horns reduced, and delivered with a world-worn voice; this rumbling song for journeymen, sung by our tired but tenacious traveler, definitely earns its Tom Waits comparison.
When the chorus arrives, it’s layered strings, horns, and saxophones – each answers, and enhances, the other, creating a collective, somewhat chaotic sonic fullness.
There’s an interesting key change/bridge at about the three-minute mark – it launches with a melodic guitar solo and vocal pseudo-chanting. And when the sax returns, it leads us back to the song’s familiar structure.
When the song ends, it’s on a collectively played and ominous final chord – it portends rough times ahead regardless of Sylvia’s consistent and heroic acts of defiance.
But is it actually good?
“Sylvia Sez (For Justine)” isn’t your average rock song – it exudes art rock, post-punk, and the attitudes of a common, traveling everyman (or woman) doused in the exotic gasoline of softly burning avant-garde. It’s something common but strenuous, worn out but spontaneous. It’s the need to rebel braided with the emotional scarring of far too much rebellion. It’s the story of a girl who, for all her big swings and desperate, clever attempts, couldn’t escape, outrun, or outsmart the security of a simple, boring life. “Sylvia Sez (For Justine)” is a perfect, unexpected-in-places, big-sounding piece of musical art, and I can’t recommend it enough. GOOOOD STUFF.
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BELOW: Listen to Crow Follow and check them out on Bandcamp. Please support Crow Follow by visiting them online and playing, downloading, and/or purchasing their music. And, as always, thank you for supporting real music.
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