Pistols At Dawn – Voices
How hard has it been for all of us to not just be in our heads all the time? I don’t just mean giving things the average thought here or there, but the uncertainty and doubts that plague us both our own insecurities and people and things all around us, sometimes feeling like it’s too much, cripplingly so sometimes. “Voices” by Atlanta band Pistols at Dawn challenges those feelings in your head in the same way they must be challenging themselves to stop being so wrapped up in the nonsense and to live and feel something, together, but they know that’s a road easier said than done.
The song kicks off with a blast of guitars and the banging of drums that almost feels like a call back to the early to mid-2000s rock sound that almost feels nostalgic now of gruff voices, wailing guitars, and moody mysterious but evocative lyrics, coming courtesy of singer Chris Pierson. Watching the accompanying music video you can very clearly see why these guys work together.
They’re experts at what they do by now and perform like masters and they get extra points for arranging certain touches to the video that lend it a particularly memorable sensibility. Whether it the above head crane style shots of Pierson surrounded by the mass of candles that have to in some way feel like the actual chaotic voices that surround him and this is a small touch, but the outfit complete with black gloves that drummer Adam Jaffe wears just sticks with me because it’s just perfect to what the video is going for.
I wouldn’t say these guys are reinventing the wheel in terms of songs about subject matter like this, but they lend their own personal fingerprints to it, and that level of niche and distinctness is what we need in music, especially rock which has been having its own identity crisis as of late. Genre, as time goes on, gets blurrier and blurrier and it’s hard to say what counts as what, but make no mistake, this is rock first and foremost and the band knows it.
The group cites raw emotion and passion as the way they connect with people and I’ll be damned if they’re not right on the money. I listened to this with headphones and I certainly recommend it that way even though I have no doubts that this will be a lot of peoples go-to car blasting song, but with headphones, you get to really pick up on every word, every tone and every little flourish they sprinkle to the notes and I think it’s a perfect way to convey the way they want to connect.
This is one of my favorite rock experiences of the last few years if only because these guys are exciting new voices and we need to build them up and push for more music that wants to challenge our expectations about ourselves and the world we exist in together. This is a track most highly recommended.
If you enjoyed Voices, check out the official website for Pistols At Dawn by clicking here. Give them a like on Facebook by clicking here.
