Big music doesn’t have to resort to brash and bombastic tricks to make its presence felt. You can go that route, if you like, but there are cleverer ways to sound big, and in doing so, clever. For “Always,” Rise take the approach that it is the placement of the musical elements, not the weight, it is the layering, and precise positioning, rather than a sonic carpet bombing that gets the job done. And it does. This is the proof.
And so we find their guitars carving out precise melodies and short, sharp, and shockingly effective solos; the backbeat and bass lines are complementary rather than seeking to steal the limelight; synths merely soften the edges and occasionally add intrigue; and the vocals dance over the top as rich and lushly layered textures. It is such a space and separation that means you can have so much going on, and still ensure that everything is heard, everything is felt.
Sitting between pop infectiousness and rock weight, indie groove and almost proggy vibes, the modern, more commercial end of it, at least, “Always” is a great song, one that is effective and artistic, contagious and, well, big. But big in the same way that, say, The Eiffel Tower is big! There is certainly a lot there, but its structures are ornate, its lines graceful, its size impressive, its shape beguiling, and there is enough space to let the light shine through.
“Viva Le Rock!” as they say in Paris. Probably.
