Pop Evil Shows Us a High Old Time

Are you missing '80s style metal guitar solos? You have a friend in Pop Evil. The Michigan tribe returns front and center with "Up" the album and "Ways To Get High". In movies, the trailer allows you to visualize the jumping off juncture of a movie. At times that works to a filmmaker's disservice because if the trailer constitutes the bet part of the film then not too many will bother with the remainder for obvious reasons. If you were under the impression that the bass which opens "Ways To Get High" pretty much represents the song's creative zenith then I'm pleased to report you're greatly mistaken. While Matt DeRito's bass playing nudges a sexy frame of reference to our ears that's a mere appetizer for the scrumptious soup you're going to slurp down wholesale. The bridge captivates richly. Note after note sends me back to the Sunset Strip, to '80s metal glory. The longer Nick Fueling's guitar gets the chance to roam wild and free, the better it begins to sound. Joshua Marunde (AKA Chachi Riot) drums his demented little heart out. What righteous fun. As you venture out into the deeper waters this song gains added complexities. The harmonies can be raw one minute, starry-eyed the next. In New Orleans they might refer to this chef talent as jambalaya. These cooks don't fool around by any stretch. They're head long into jangling chords before you've had a chance to let the bass simmer a spell and take root in your well-worn memory banks. What Joshua does behind the kit conveniently gives "Ways To Get High" a sturdy backbone. It's a small pinch of rock heaven but then again who said a pinch was nowhere near good enough to suffice. Leigh Kakaty avoid frills at the mike stand. Basic attention grabbing voice technique specifically designed to hold your interest which, in this highly short attention span era is definitely a positive thing. Merging Leigh and Nick with rhythm guitarist Dave Grahs for the chief vocal harmonies demonstrates what can happen if you give relentless focus a chance to flower. So is there a time of day when "Ways To Get High" sounds best? Personally I'd shoot for right as the day turns to night, little dash of residual sunset to savor. Throw some party libations and you've got the backdrop for one dandy evening of classy entertainment. The choice of chords stays pretty constant but what Pop Evil gets from its handiwork proves value-oriented song craft has its place in contemporary music. Nobody's trying to knock your perspective on its ear. Pop Evil wants only to get you to watch its electric waves come in and out of the shore. Late in the proceedings some '60s era beachfront bliss assumes its place at the table. Bellying up to this bar won't leave you pocket foolish. The thing to watch carefully in listening to Nick at the chorus is how he asserts himself between Nick and Dave. You know who's flashing the alpha dog tonsils here. "Ways To Get High" makes detox appear to be one of the dumbest concepts ever. There's no hangover to suffer from here. Simply hard rock knocking you on your petard.