In today’s world of cookie-cutter bands with hundreds of weekly releases that seem more inclined to focus on the latest Tik Tok trends instead of the quality of their music, it is more than refreshing to hear a band that goes back to rock and roll basics. It’s even better when they do it so well, you become a fan of the band after just one listen. Let me introduce you to my latest playlist binge, Crashing Wayward.
Born out of the chaos of the spring of 2020, Crashing Wayward began making its musical mark through a frenzy of songwriting resulting in their spectacular debut album ‘Listen!’ The record is truly everything that I love about rock and roll with fiery guitars, hard-driving riffs, a punishing rhythm section, and a vocalist who can hit all the screams and everything in between. “‘Listen!’ is pure power and raw emotion fueled by a talented group of musicians that are capable of rocking you into next week, yet unafraid to tone it down and hit you right in the feels.
From the opening track “Mouth to God’s Ear,” we are hit with the heavy bass of Carl Raether and bombastic drums of Shon McKee. This is before Peter Summit belts out the absolutely gigantic chorus which will have you singing along and grinning from ear to ear. The guitar work of Stacey David Blades and David Harris is nothing short of superb as they shake us to the core on the anthemic arena rocker “Shake The Dead Awake” and give us a massive jolt of electricity with the bluesy-rock vibes of “Disco Kills.” My personal favorites were hard to choose with such a selection of songs but I have to say I adore the groove of “Staring at Ceilings” and probably broke a few traffic laws as I hammered down the highway singing along to “Paper Airplane Heart.”
‘Listen!’ is rock and roll ecstasy and my only regret after hearing it is that I hadn’t put it on sooner. Don’t make the same mistake I did. Go check out ‘Listen!’ for yourself. You can thank me later.
