Nashville-based
SAFETYSUIT is probably the best little band you might have never heard about as
well as their 2008 album, Life Left to Go. Their song "Stay" was a Billboard charts hit and the video was a steady mainstay on
the VH1 Top-20 Countdown for most of the summer of 2009, while they toured with
powerhouse bands such as 3 Doors Down, Puddle of Mudd and Seether. As we enter
this new year, SAFETYSUIT finally drops their new release, the sophomore follow-up
These Times.
For the band,
this new release showcases a sound that is a maturation of the vibe found in Life Left to Go. While more hints of Pop
are found in tracks such as “Let Go”, there is no doubt that These Times is an evolution of their creative
expression. Front man Doug Brown, lead guitarist Dave Garofalo, bassist Jeremy
Henshaw, and drummer Tate Cunningham tackle some new topics such as
appreciating the one you love (“Never Stop”) and knowing when it is time to end
a tumultuous relationship (“One Time”).
The
aforementioned “Let Go” is the song most might recognize right away since it
has been receiving air play and the video is currently in the high tier on the VH1 Top-20 Countdown (see below). It’s
also a pretty catchy tune even with the band’s new implemented pop element.
This particular track was written and produced with Ryan Tedder of One Republic
and his influence is extremely noticeable in this song’s rhythm.
Even though
the song is a few years old, the band’s decision to include the highly-powered “Crash”
was a wise choice. Usually used to kickoff their previous live performances, “Crash”
is based on Brown’s real life experience of keeping a boy who was ousted from a
moving car awake and alive until the paramedics arrived. (Brown’s detailed account
of the event is in one of the videos below).
These Times is a song with a strong message and
one very relative to the tough economic struggles a lot of people in the world are
facing today. Even though this track corresponds as the album’s title, the track’s
theme is not the overall tone of the album. Much like The Script’s “For the
First Time”, this song does not come across as exploitative, but rather as a message
of hope and a friendly shoulder to cry on, so to speak. It is nice when a band
remembers not only the little guys out there, like their family, friends and
most importantly fans, who feel the impact of these times, but they will always
remember their own struggles trying to make it in this difficult business.
The singles
for “Get Around This” and “Let Go” have already been released with all signs
pointing to “These Times” as next in the pecking order. Hopefully they realize their
underdog hit is “Stranger”, a song about being in love with someone who has
you tightly labeled in the dreaded Friend
Zone. The strength of “Stranger” lies in it being a perfect outlet for
Brown to display his incredible vocal range and pitch change adjustments, which
is not assisted by any production techniques or auto-tuning tricks.
SAFETYSUIT
definitely knows how to appeal to both the female and male demographics even
more so than they did with Life Left to
Go, this time executing more of an edge in their lyrics and sound. “Never
Stop” and the bonus track “You Don’t See Me” will be a favorite for the ladies whereas
tracks like “Believe” and “Crash” can be enjoyed by both sides of the field.
In an age
where Electronica is being hailed as trendy and revolutionary, it is refreshing
to know that genuine musical talents are still writing their own lyrics and
music that contain more meaning than just letting people know that “every
day you’re shuff-a-lin”. SAFETYSUIT is a band on the verge of a major breakout
with their spirit embedded into that of independent music, something truly
needed in “these times”. Yes, pun definitely intended.
LINKS:
VIDEOS:
"CRASH" acoustic video I recorded at HACC in 2010...
"LET GO" OFFICIAL VIDEO
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