Matthew Squires & Sunk Coast Deiver Some Vintage Rock Tonality
The latest release from Matthew Squires & Sunk Coast delivers a super classic rock-inspired track that bends into folk and expresses a lot of tension when it comes to the state of the country, society, and people.
One of the things that makes this feel classic rock is its vintage tonality. The bass guitar tone alone has this really old-school feel to it; you can hear the midsection so full and rich, and the acoustic, clean guitars are layered on right alongside live percussion.
What makes the song stand out is Matthew's sort of theatrical vocal approach. He also boasts very classic vocals when he sings, but he's got this almost emotional Sensation that fills the space when you hear his voice.
It makes you pay more attention to the words.
Everything about this song feels inspired by some of the greats, but it's got its own thing going on as well. It's a vibe and aesthetic that feels familiar but is made for right now.
As I mentioned earlier, the song displays a unique sort of scattered disorientation due to the state of the country and everything that's going on with it.
It focuses on aspects of leadership, why we're also separated and segregated, and how it all puts a bit of a strain on our everyday lives, even if we're not paying attention to it.
Picking sides is all the rage right now, and someone out there wanted that to be the case.
I think that Matthew's picking up on this quite clearly, and he's saying things in the song that we all think but don't really know how to articulate into words, let alone words and music, so when we hear the song, we totally relate to it.
Even if we don't admit it out loud, this is something that we connect with as soon as we hear it.
This is melodically driving and has a lot of great hooks in it, but the whole aesthetic of the song is really what reels you in.
It's got this strangely cinematic underbelly to it, and again, that's because it's politically relevant and also a bit emotional, which, in combination, makes for something that is impactful.
Along with the vintage tonality of some of these instruments is great lead guitar solo that's kind of mellow, because the song has a bit of a saddened feel, again being about feeling tense and watching parts of the country fall apart.
But the guitar tone has this great sort of phaser effect on it that is something that a lot of classic rock used to use quite often.
So you can hear that old-school influence really thriving throughout the entire thing, and I feel like that was something that was very well thought out.
"What's Going On" blends classic rock and more current-feeling indie vocals and lyrics is really brilliant because it makes you feel like a song for our time. It's almost an anthem for what we're going through right now, which there was a lot of back in the 60s and 70s.
There were loads of politically driven songs back Then, which have kind of died out during the past few decades, but now they're starting to come back because, again, everyone is feeling that pull, whether it's one way or another.
Matthew definitely expresses the feeling of being pulled left and right on a constant basis and having elements of it shoved in our faces normally.
The song feels almost submissive. Like it just makes you want to curl up in a ball and forget about everything that's going on.
This is part of the sentiment that I picked up on, which can be interpreted differently by whoever listens to the song, of course.
That element of what he's singing about makes me really relate to it on a deep level because again, these are things that you feel and think but don't really say out loud for some reason.
Mostly it's because you don't want to offend someone or pick a side.
Matthew is not picking any sides at all here. He's simply showcasing the level of destruction that has happened in this country in the past five to eight years.
He does this in a way that displays character and has this sense of understanding that's rarely seen.
Definitely dig into this one and see what you pick up from it, because I definitely got a lot. This is a track that gives you plenty to chew on.
I'm sure you'll find it all to be true, even when he's being semi-metaphorical and even a little whimsical at times.
These are some of the true staples of Matthew Squires & Sunk Coast that I love most, and this song wraps all of that up in one excellent display.
Dive into this one now; you don't want to miss it.
Easy Answers To Harder Questions - Single by Matthew Squires, Sunk Coast | Spotify
