Music Existence Because of Music, We Exist
“Call Me” is one of those instantly recognizable classic rock songs that can rile up a crowd and get everyone singing along. MR.Slade delivers a potent rendition of the song, owning every moment and matching Debbie Harry and Blondie’s power and energy. The track is full of all the things that made 80s music fun, like flippant and mildly aggressive attitude, heavy pop synths, and great guitar riffs. MR.Slade has created a new version of the hit song for a modern audience. It’s hard to recreate an iconic tune and make it your own, but he has managed to pay tribute while also freshening it up, respectfully.
MR.Slade was born in Ontario, Canada, and his dream is to reach all sorts of people with his music. His style is dynamic and explosive, loaded with 80s and 90s references, which colors most of his music. I think he could appeal to a wide variety of demographics, from older people who are nostalgic for decades past to a younger audience who are looking for an intense and upbeat sound. Regardless of age, MR.Slade’s cover of “Call Me” could get anyone bopping along and shouting out the chorus.
MR.Slade almost makes you believe that this song was originally his. His commitment to making it rock just as hard as Blondie’s version makes you want to go in for another listen. Plus he took it in a slightly different direction. It still has that classic hard rock sound, but with a bit of 90s dark club music influence. It feels a little more dancey/goth and less local punk band. It’s good to keep these older hits alive, and with new singers comes new listeners to appreciate them. While “Call Me” will most likely always make me think of Blondie, MR.Slade’s version will be jammed in my brain for a long time. His voice is so awesome and catchy, he sounds a bit like Trent Reznor from Nine Inch Nails as he lets the verses flow out of him with a slight sneer.
“Call Me” was a behemoth of a song to tackle, given how popular it still remains to this day, and MR.Slade took it head on and rose to the challenge. He delivered a cool performance of the song that makes it sound different and new, but didn’t lose all the bits that made it a smash hit in the first place. He was able to mix other sounds into the 80’s hard rock vibe and make it believable and natural. I’m sure there have been other decent covers of “Call Me,” but I can’t think of a single one. For me, this will probably be the only cover of it I ever listen to. And I can live with that. Whether it’s another cover or an original song, I’m very curious to see what MR.Slade will put out next. He’s just started putting singles out last year, so it looks like he’s fairly new to the music scene. He can only go up from here.
Julia Albano
