Alternative rock might have been a reaction to the perceived conformity and tiredness of its older sibling, classic rock, but it has always been built on a lot of the same sonic traditions – righteous and raucous riffs, driving drums, dexterous playing, anthemic vibes, sonic weight and seductive infectiousness. All elements that make up “Crushing Down”, the new one from Dunfermline’s finest, Stay For Tomorrow.
I’m not saying that nothing has changed, a lot has changed, but so much is also still familiar. But what Stay For Tomorrow is so good at is taking those familiar elements and putting their own spin on them. And so, here, the guitar work seems to be as much about the big sound of eighties Celtic rock as it is the usual, modern alternative sound (which might be an echo of another, earlier band from the region, Big Country); the drums are brilliantly understated (for an alt-rock song, at least) and the music in general filled with brilliantly changing dynamics and no small amount of sing-along-ability. Maybe this is alt-alt-rock?
And as great as the music is, the lyrics prove that sometimes rock music can be both big and clever. It’s a song that encapsulates those times when the weight of the world is bearing down, when it seems impossible to move, when the pressure of events or responsibility, emotions or outside factors is too much to bear, something that seems increasingly prevalent in the modern world both on a global and a personal level.
It’s also a song that reminds you that, no matter how bad it gets, no matter what you think, you are not alone. We’ve all been there.
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