Listening to Signal 30’s Generations I move upward, creeping almost out of the Earth’s atmosphere. For just over a minute I move as graceful as the guitar melodies allow me to. Epic arrangements of strings and lead guitar assure me soon I will be on my way to another land. With a clever and inviting intro, “Say it Like You Mean It” has the weight to make most things adhere to its size, and is a great tune to kick things off. Once I land back in reality, I am greeted by riffs and familiar rock tones that let me know exactly what’s going down.
Although the heart and veins of Generations can for sure be tagged (Rock Genre) the body that surrounds those veins take on a few forms and styles. Tracks like “Cartel” and “Picking Up Change” have an anthem feel to them, with “Cartel” having more of a hit-the-dance-floor feel, driving you forward with lyrics and drums that say “Rock N Roll.” “Eat You Alive” got me fast with its intro riff and drums. I hear that straight ahead punk sound like Nirvana’s Bleach with the catchy hook and and sprinkles of pop on a punk piece.
My favorite, and the most thoughtful in composition and feeling, is “Hit Back.” I don’t say this just because, placed in the middle of a mostly modern rock EP, “Hit Back” instantly pulled me in for a harder listen with e-bow sounds and clean guitar progression normally found in songs of yesteryears. I say it’s my favorite because it’s a well written tune that really glues things together. This song really moves me. The guitar solo rips and hits with purpose, Brian May style.
In the end it’s great to be able to hit play and just let things do the cruise control. I find myself wanting to hit the skip a lot more these days, and I get the feeling many bands and their works likes Albums and EPs are going for, “I hope you like two out of ten.” I don’t get that feel with Generations. It’s rocking and thoughtful collection all the way through that will be in my rotation for a minute.
FFO: Pink Floyd, Elliot Smith, Brian May
Listen Here: https://signal30.bandcamp.com/album/generations
-V. V.
Glory In Sound 