At This Moment Portugal The Man Keeps Its Winning Streak Going

an ode to the now? Portugal The Man has you covered via its new jam "Live In The Moment", good advice regardless of who you are. There's a definite cathedral vibe at work here underscoring the make hay while the sun shines.  Right off the bat you feel you are in a place of healing and atonement for directions taken in times of elusive clarity.  John Baldwin Gourney leads us through the thicket of uncertainty, head held high, our gatekeeper spiritually.  The message rings loud and clear and John's voice haunting in delivery gets even more spooky thanks to the generous minor chords from keyboardist, Kyle O'Quin.   If he doesn't set your teeth on edge with his playing, then it can't be done.  Each step you take gets made with extreme caution because who knows what lurks arund the next bend.  Dual drum threat, Jason Sechrist, and Kane Ritchotte blast out a militant beat in which you know there is no turning back.  Whatever is around the next bend, hold on because it is headed right at you.  The chant-along chorus gives you plenty of backup adrenaline to fuel your journey.  It is as if said chorus fooled you into complacency, made you think all is right with your world....but no, that's not how this story goes.  Want depressing?  The video shot of John, forlornly riding along in a car, face stripped of emotion, could be enough to send you to the liquor cabinet thinking of how many shots of hooch you wish to polish off.  The condemned man being led to the gas chamber comes to mind.  Zachary Scott Carothers plants in some nifty base playing to spice things up a notch or two.   It's greatly appreciated because of the depth it adds to the tune.   Eric Howk does himself and those in his inner posse proud by hitting the guitar notes that come through in the clutch.  Also, the video has its playful side.  Hence the squealing of tires propelling a car around and around with reckless abandonment.  The kind of free-spirited glee the song endorses.  The rhythm really clicks for anybody needing a pick-me-up in the 'peace of mind' department.  The effort is there on all fronts.  Makes you want to do something awesome because it can be done.  "My home is a girl with eyes like wishing wells" sounds like the ultimate slice of rock poetry.  Even distracts you from whatever mundane tasks you might be engaged in.  It's all in how you turn the phrase, how you glean maximum effectiveness from it.  The workplace milieu of selling souls gets its due as well, and who hasn't been there before.  In short, "Live In The Moment" lives to arouse the dying embers within us yearning for resurrection.

Falling In Reverse Does A Super Job

The great escape from Nowheresville USA is the featured theme for Falling In Reverse's new single "Superhero". In the video three boys are on a mission to leave suburbia behind. The desperation in lead vocalist Ronnie Radke's voice begs for sweet relief and release. He doesn't exactly strike me as the most optimistic dude who ever lived as lyrics like "And you're always running with nowhere to go" prove. This track opens with a haunting keyboard refrain and group chorus that lets us know heavy waters loom up ahead. The drumming from Chris Kamrada goes straight for the heart and succeeds at nailing its intended target You can smell the blood in the water just like those sharks you've heard about so often. There's no speed limit applied here which makes Ronnie's voiced angst that much more poignant and fearsome. The D chord sends icicles through our collective veins. Zakk Sandler's bass demands that you show it the proper respect because asses will be kicked if you don't. The mud on those tires get you right in the trousers. Gritty fret work throughout which only ratchets up the urgency meter. At the bridge Christian Thompson's guitar scorches a hole in your gut and then leaves you to rot. It's one of the key components that allows "Superhero" far more lasting power in the ears than it has a right to demand from its listeners. Full steam ahead, no apologies provided. Derek Jones isn't too shabby in the rhythm guitar department. Barreling through like a bull in a china shop he defines intensity. The chorus falls nothing shy of snazzy. Radical acceptance of reality abounds in Ronnie's admission that "I don't wanna be a superhero cause I can't save the world. So I'm never gonna get the girl. I just wanna do better. Superhero. "Cause I can't save myself much less somebody else so I gotta do better." You want to reach out and give him a hug but he's so far down in the dumps you wonder what good that would actually do. For now we'll have to settle for Ronnie's unvarnished anguish as the window to this tortured artist's soul. "Superhero" represents the latest song romanticizing throwing in the towel and letting Fate have its way with you. As long as there are no way out situations hounding people in this world of ours there will always be a place for songs like "Superhero." Adversity breeds tunes about adversity and the human toll exacted by such hardship. I respect the urgency Falling In Reverse brings to the table. It makes for a listening experience that chills the bones and stops the heart. There's a good reason why Fslling In Reverse has lasted nine years. The material on display exemplifies what next generation rock's possibilities could and should be about.