Greye’s particular brand of Southern rock manages the impressive task of paying deference to the past while primarily living in the present and looking toward the future. The band has garnered enough respect and built a devoted following to sustain them for over ten years and counting. It isn’t an accident or blind luck. Greye has weathered the slings and arrows of modern music through hard work, progress, and outstanding skill and continues releasing fresh new music deep into their career. Their seventh release VII illustrates their abiding gifts quite nicely.
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The first track clarifies that they are at a high, inspired pinnacle. “Hold Your Own” sets a template they will follow for much of the release, but don’t let those words mislead you. Yes, five-star riffing anchors much of the band’s music, but it’s never the perfunctory cookie-cutter variety that wearies experienced listeners after one or two tracks. “Hold Your Own” has a hard-hitting riff that hooks itself into your subconscious, and Summer unleashes one of her best all-out rock vocals with particularly soaring passages that will dazzle all but the most cynical of listeners.
“Famous Last Words” mixes things up a bit. Summer’s vocals have a lot more grit and less rock flash. You can hear a bucket of blood blues mentality burning bright throughout this cut and, like its predecessor, the guitar work impresses while eschewing customary elements such as guitar solos. The production does an exemplary job of capturing a rough and ready sound that brokers no compromise. “Losing My Mind” continues the outstanding roll opening VII. It has an acoustic guitar underpinning the raucous electric six-string playing, and a nasty slide guitar contribution exerts a tight hold over the performance. The band’s lyrical acumen may surprise some listeners, but they shouldn’t be. These are fully realized songs without token additions, and “Losing My Mind” ranks among the best.
Straightforward dynamics power “Bang Bang” and the inexorable churn of the song’s central riff will bulldoze unsuspecting listeners. However, it’s never overwrought. Greye’s keen understanding of manipulating dynamics for maximum effect without ever overwhelming listeners is one of their strengths. Another track with an acoustic guitar serving as an underpinning role arrives with “Underdog”. Greye maintains the same high energy they’ve produced from the opener without ever striking a one-note or “samey” feel that drags down the album. “Underdog” boasts lyrics that listeners will readily identify with while still making an intensely personal statement.
“Spiders on the Page” is the first of several softer near-ballads populating the album’s second half. Summer’s ability to modulate her voice is the key to songs such as this working, and the lyrics are easily among the best on VII. It incorporates some of the band’s customary rock sound and blends well with the more intimate aspects of this piece. Her duet with Jason Michael Carroll titled “Hurricane” is another highlight. This is a solid Nashville hit in the making with its pedal steel presence and the seamless union of Summer and Carroll’s voices. It may surprise some listeners by not sounding at all out of place.
It’s moments such as this that emphasize the band’s artistic dexterity. Greye is still taking chances after ten years, and those daredevil inclinations pay off throughout VII. It whets our appetite for what the next decade may bring.
Garth Thomas