After spending most of the summer on the road, Atlanta three-piece the Head brought the energy from touring into the studio and emerged with the distorted anthem “Jesus,” the latest single from their upcoming EP, Millipedes.
The new track’s steady pace is driven by Jack Shaw’s insistent drumming and frontman Mike Shaw’s cavernous bass, but the band hits high gear during the breakdown in the second half, as Shaw channels Rivers Cuomo with a series of yelps and shouts. While not a groundbreaking reinvention of college rock, the track is filled with catchy hooks and a few notable creative blossoms, such as the static-laced outro.
’90s revivalism continues to trend throughout indie rock, and though the Head are part of the wave, they refuse to let their music fall into some sort of grunge time machine trap, where regurgitated Pixies and Nirvana songs are remanufactured for 2015. Instead, they whip up a mixture of so many elements that the Head only ends up sounding like themselves, a difficult task for any indie rock band in 2015.
“Jesus” is the Head at their most comfortable, bending the classic rock and roll formula of clever lyrics and a catchy solo, all for the sake of having a damn good time. The result is a song abounding with clear-eyed simplicity balancing inward angst. Listen below.
The Head’s five-song EP, Millipedes, will be released Nov. 13.
More Info
Bandcamp: thehead.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @theheadrocks
Instagram: @theheadmusic
Twitter: @theheadmusic