To borrow from the past without merely aping those who came before you is no mean feat, but both The Bravery “Believe” and Fake Names “Delete Myself” deliver impressively on that mission-statement! You need this DLC debuting Thursday in the Rock Band Music Store.
“Believe,” the 2008 gold-certified single from The Bravery’s second LP, The Sun and the Moon, reached Number 4 on the U.S. Alternative Charts and remains one of the better-known tracks from this rockin’ quintet (vocalist/producer Sam Endicott, keyboardist John Conway, guitarist Michael Zakarin, bassist Mike Hindert, and drummer Anthony Burulcich). With synths a-plenty, the cut is a banger!
Starting off with a slinky guitar line, “Believe” is soon bolstered by syncopated drums, atmospheric keys, and background vox before the song’s first verse begins at the 17-second mark. When the chorus arrives at 1:04 it’s clear that these guys know their way around an ear-wormy melody and lyrical hook. Euphoric, emotive, anthemic – this is truly a powerfully affecting refrain. After another go-round with the second verse and a return to the chorus, at 2:18 Zakarin unleashes a wildly tuneful guitar solo that gets progressively more unhinged before the group scales things back until it’s just Endicott’s vocals accompanied by synth before a rousing double-dose of the refrain that leads to the single’s conclusion at just under four minutes (3:46).
Lyrically, “Believe”, Endicott has explained, "My songs became more spiritual. I simultaneously felt more optimistic and more lost than ever before. I wrote songs about death and what waits for us afterward. Everything was a question, a period of waiting… For something? For nothing? I thought back to my year of basically living on a barstool… I felt like the setting had changed but the feeling was the same. So I wrote the song 'Believe' about it."
Influences abound – and are in no way hidden or “beneath the surface” – but what act worth its salt hasn’t unashamedly mimicked their inspirations? The decidedly positive end-result is a composition and recording with time-worn feel and familiarity. Moreover, while any one aspect of the overall soundscape of “Believe” could be considered derivative of a specific band or individual performer, The Bravery’s amalgam of priapic guitar-hero rock with aspects of a mixture of different genres is entirely unique and very much their own.
Stay up to date on tour dates and upcoming releases by heading over to www.thebravery.com. It’s time to re-familiarize yourself with one of the defining dance-rock masterworks of the past 15 years!
“Supergroup” is an overused term, but in the case of Fake Names, there’s no more apt descriptor. Featuring a pedigree of hardcore luminaries that is almost impossibly impressive – guitarist-vocalist Brian Baker, singer Dennis Lyxzén, guitarist-vocalist Michael Hampton, bassist Johnny Temple, and new drummer Brendan Canty (look them up individually if you’re not already familiar and you’ll see what I’m talking about) – the five-piece subverts expectations by decidedly *not* crafting by-the-numbers HC. “Delete Myself” is case in point: potency, assertiveness, aggression are all present in spades, to be sure, but the track is more evocative of late ‘70s Brit-punk and catchy lyrics than violently swirling mosh-pits.
“In general, Dennis writes about revolution and Michael and I write pop songs,” says Baker of the song’s approach to songwriting. “I’m amazed at how it works, but somehow it strikes the right balance of salty and sweet.”
Works it surely does! By channeling the members’ legacies through their own youthful past, the band creates something unexpected, punchy, energetic, and just plain fun. With lyrical content that may well be subversively political, there’s no question you can (and likely will!) dance to it.
Kicking off with a 1-2-3 drum tattoo, “Delete Myself” quickly establishes a bouncy, fuzzy guitar figure before shifting gears (and chords) as the vocals are added to the sonic picture seven seconds in. There’s lots of nifty contrapuntal bass work, taut drums (what else would you expect from Canty, honestly?), guitar harmonics, and high-energy singing which sets the stage ideally for the massive chorus, over the intro guitar riff, at the 29-second mark. After the second run-through of the refrain, Fake Names pulls back a bit at 1:14, with unaccompanied jangly guitars over a slower tempo, but band sequentially adds back in all the instrumental and vocal elements, leading to a tastefully restrained guitar lead at 1:36 (again, pay attention to Temple’s bass line, which is doing more than its fair share of “heavy lifting” even if the six-string acrobatics is getting the spotlight). We then go back to the mighty chorus, with plenty of call-and-response lead- and group vocal work, before the all-too-short track careens to a halt at a mere two minutes and 35 seconds.
“A high-energy craft cocktail of punk and garage, finished with unforgettable riffs” is how the group (or at least their publicist) described “Delete Myself” upon the single’s release in late November 2022 and for once the PR-spin is pretty spot-on. If you seek impeccably performed rock and masterful songcraft, Fake Names have got your number. Get ready for your new favorite rock and roll rager!
The Bravery “Believe” and Fake Names “Delete Myself” are each featured in the Season 33 Pass. Grab them today and enjoy the full season of DLC! They can both be yours for $1.99 each.
· The Bravery – “Believe”
· Fake Names – “Delete Myself”
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*Please note that this week’s DLC tracks will be available for purchase on Thursday, August 17th.