John Mayer Shows Us A New Light

John Mayer has been a reliable hit maker since the aughts churning out reliable tunes like "Your Body Is A Wonderland" "Daughters" and now "New Light" a song bathed in sunlight through John's voice and some supreme guitar licks at the bridge that are smoky like the pipes John's been using to great effect. If you want some smile moments the video should fill your quota for the day, month, year, and even decade. You see these delicious backdrops ranging from a goldfish bowl to a baseball game to mountain tops. John's sensual stare seals the deal. You get the feeling there's an intimate relationship at work here between listener and player. Kind of a bedroom pillow talk aesthetic. He has the peppiness angle down to a science. It is truly one of his better efforts from a composition standpoint. It's full of sweetness and light that should sustain you for days. John certainly has a bluesy soul inside of him and it comes out beautifully here. From note one he's an engaging figure and captures his audience perfectly. He's got plenty of rooting value in spades. You want to see him succeed. "New Light" from his "Snack Money" LP gives him the leverage to do just that. https://youtu.be/mQ055hHdxbE

Panic! at the Disco Has Reason To Be Hopeful

Panic! At The Disco comes on with flourishes aplenty throughout "High Hopes". The song is the act's breeziest to date, as the video showing vocalist Brandon Urie scaling a skyscraper should attest. Every facet bubbles with gusto. Brandon Urie is pretty much the one man band at this juncture and he sells it big time. Compared to past efforts "High Hopes" promotes sunshine to the nth degree, as if the nuts and bolts were constructed during an outdoor barbecue. It's that open air. Still Panic! stays true to its playful roots. The lyrics speak to not waiting to ask permission to chase a dream. Just do it as the Nike! ad says. Having a vision is crucial to pursuing one's dream in Brandon's eyes and that makes for a poignant part of the overall songcraft. Mama insisted on rewritten history resulting in cemented legacies. Having high hopes for a living is a tough sell but Brandon pulls off the fantasy with brio. Returning to the video, how much sweat fell from Brandon's brow during filming do you suppose? However Brandon seems to be enjoying himself full throttle as the smile on his face would indicate. Overall "High Hopes" hits the high points of Panic!'s talent.

Three Days Grace Plumbs The Soul For Infrared

Canadian hard rock stalwarts Three Days Grace have crafted a bone chilling slab of hard rock goodness with "Infrared". The chord progressions are utterly spine-tingling, as if they know exactly what buttons to push to elicit the maximum emotional response. I felt it right down to the tips of my toes. Lead vocalist Matt Walst does an outstanding job upping the creepiness factor getting to the meat of the matter, about how easy it is to be seen by the outside world in black and white. Moreover drummer Neil Sanderson pounds out beats like a man possessed. Guitarist Barry Stock strums as if his life depended on it. Bassist Brad Walst brother to Matt, holds up his end of the workload stupendously, banging out thunder with reckless abandon. As a whole this band has a brand like no other, fire and brimstone pulsating from every pore. Their brand of hard rock drips with vitality like no other. The lyric sheet confirms this time and again. Seeing a woman in infra-red...how very cryptic...and mind blowing. Personally my favorite track they have ever come out with is "I Am Machine" which had more of a battering ram style to it. Trust me when I tell you "Infrared" has much more of a melodic sensibility to it. Each passage bursts with an excitable oomph that will not be denied. The pacing is stealth enriched, letting the uninitiated digest every toothsome mouthful. In short "Infrared" is a feast for the ears.

You Can Feel Portugal The Man's Bass Grooves

Beefy bass. Two words. One incredible punch. That's the verdict from here regarding Portugal The Man's "Feel It Still". The bass sells the song. It's a slinky little number that helps get you into a undercover spy sort of frame of mind. The drumming is cool to the touch, very tres chic, a perfect compliment to the keyboard fills that accompany it. It's all about stealth with this bunch, firing off winning licks right and left, making a cohesive whole take shape. And the lyrics...very cryptic "Ooh woo, I'm a rebel just for kicks, now. I been feeling it since 1966, now. Might be over now, but I feel it still." Get what I mean? Pure weirdness. John Baldwin Goury's vocals exude confidence as he weaves his yarn from 1966 era life. The smooth feel of this song defies description. You get to be a player by association thanks to John's confidence. Zach Scot Carothers gets credit for the grand bass playing outlined above. This cut promises to be the monster hit of 2018 what with its bodacious hooks and slick production values. I highly recommend this song as a kick start to any party lagging in energy that could use a boost.

Weezer Does Toto Proud With 'Africa'

I'm a big fan of Toto from way back. Weezer's cover of the chestnut "Africa" is nothing short of a revelation. The sound is polished for the millennial generation. Rivers Cuomo's vocals mimic the cool assurance of Bobby Kimball's from the 1983 original. Both are apt storytellers who weave mesmerizing tales plucked straight out of old time mythology. Cue the wild dogs echoing in the night, the old man searching for forgotten melodies saying "Hurry boy, it's waiting there for you. Kilimanjaro rises like Olympus above the Serengheti. That's New Age deep. In place of Toto's sound we get Weezer's juicy keyboard bridge. Thank you Brian Bell for your delicious handiwork. Patrick Wilson's drumming is feather soft and oh so lounge lizard too cool for the room. In comparison Toto's sound was ballsier, grittier. Overall Patrick's playing ably provides a wondrous comparison to Toto's original. Plus I finally got to understand the lyrics "I bless the rains down in Africa" which I always thought were "I bet the rain's down in Africa." It's funny how decades later mumbled words come to light in bold clarity. Anyway, Weezer's version of this timeless classic pays proper respect to the original in every way that matters. That's no small tip of the hat to Weezer's ability to take a song and make people forget it wasn't their version in the first place. Kudos to Weezer for doing my '80s memories proud.

Foo Fighters Tow The Line Successfully

The Foo Fighters continue to be one of the brightest stars in the rock constellation. Dave Grohl has more than earned his status as one of the nicest guys in rock and his band shows no signs of slowing down. "The Line" finds the Foos at their melodic best, chord changes aplenty, Dave's voice in fine fettle as usual. Lyrically "The Line" delves into some pretty cryptic territory that diehard Foo fans will likely appreciate. Check this out..."Yes or no? What is truth but a dirty black cloud coming out of the blue? I was wrong. I was right. I'm a black moon in the dead of night. Break my bones. I don't care. All I ever wanted was a body to share. Heart's gone cold. Brush ran dry. Satellite searching for a sign of life like you. Somewhere? Are you there? The tears in your eyes someday will dry. We fight for our lives. 'Cause everything's on the line this time. Stern words from a man who has been through the wars and lived to tell the tale. Pat Smear keeps on laying down the guitar licks sweet as honey and passes the savings on to us. Never has he sounded more crisp. Taylor Hawkins drum work has seldom sounded better than it does here. Collectively the band lays down a smooth sheen on "The Line" that defies description. There's no shortage of polish. No note is wasted. No lick is wasted. No chord progression goes by the boards. In short "The Line" lights up like a Roman candle and explodes with similar passion.

Death Cab For Cutie Strikes Gold With "Gold Rush"

Austin can certainly relate to the ghosts of edifices past as described in the lyrics of "Gold Rush." from Death Cab For Cutie"They're digging for gold in my neighborhood. Where all the old buildings stood." Gentrification being what it is there's no shortage of ghosts haunting the perimeter as new Austin replaces old Austin in painful waves. The cash cow known as music is being priced out of existence in favor of a trendier, younger demographic that makes us look like we haven't aged a day. The overall sound of "Gold Rush" brims with vitality of a kind sorely needed in these depressing times. Each man brings to the table his own brand of piss and vinegar which helps the track's appeal grow by leaps and bounds. We need all the help we can get on the energy front and vocalist Ben Gibbard provides it in an authoritative manner befitting a man railing against a changing landscape that is unavoidably so. Jason McGerr bangs away on drums like a man possessed. He truly is the heartbeat for a tune not lacking in spark. I love the anthem style of the chorus as it is repeated over and over like a battalion armed for bear, ready for a mighty showdown with a formidable enemy. Guitarist Dave Depper brings zest to the song by way of well placed melodic harmonies that add oomph to the song in all the right places. The video is highly interesting to look at, grimy facade and all. Meshed together as a whole "Gold Rush" relies on many facets to drive its point home. Again it all comes down to energy which "Gold Rush" has in spades. Nick Harmer's bass should not be denied either. It's surely a welcome meat and potatoes add on to the cut that will hold up in repeated listening. In short "Gold Rush" should strike it rich with alternative audiences.