Music Existence Because of Music, We Exist
Experiments in pop have been getting a lot of focus from the media recently, but there haven’t been nearly as many to make headlines in the American underground as there have been those in the European and Asian scenes specifically. Staunch Moderates are picking up where their western brethren have dropped the ball and transforming their creative wit into an amazing single and video ala “Rolling Stone” perfect for the particularly cynical times we’re living in. There aren’t any synthesized harmonies or inauthentic grooves shoved at us in “Rolling Stone,” nor is there the feel of an indie band’s recklessness in the arrangement of an undeniably stylish bassline. If there’s a proper way to record a crossover song, Staunch Moderates nails it pretty well here.
Let’s start with the substance of the song; there’s a ton of emphasis on the vocal harmony in this single, but as rich as it undisputedly is, I don’t see why there shouldn’t be. A lot of acts could only dream of sporting the kind of golden-toned melodies that this group of guys are bringing to the table in “Rolling Stone,” and when mixing in the video’s warm and unintimidating manner, it’s hard to hear this song without feeling something from its instrumental and poetic narratives the same. Layering all of these elements together wasn’t the difficult task in making this single work – finding a way to be as endearing as possible without sounding saccharine or trite in delivery, and yet we never see Staunch Moderates sweat for a moment.
“Rolling Stone,” as a music video, is one hundred percent devoid of the nonsensical fluff we see in the mainstream in every department that matters, and for someone who doesn’t enjoy the theatrics of the surreal content emerging from the shadows of the underground these days, this non-fat look is an amazing find. In keeping all the extra pyrotechnics out of the equation, Staunch Moderates make it possible for the content to speak for itself, which is what any classy, talented group of artists should do when offering us a song as provocatively genre-bending as this one is. Something tells me that their predecessors would approve of what they’ve done here, and at the end of the day, that’s as good as it gets in this type of venture.
Tracks that push the aesthetical envelope don’t always hit the mark –, more often than not, they develop an identity of their own that has little to do with the spirit of purist material. Though Staunch Moderates don’t produce a carbon copy of what made alternative music so intriguing to the masses some thirty years ago in “Rolling Stone,” they instead give us what amounts to a boldly experimental attitude towards the structuring of pop’s best themes while still refusing to play by the rules. When you have a chance to catch them in person, this is a band that I would recommend indie pop/rock buffs consider taking a look at when they reach a town near you. For me, they’re a cut above the competition for sure.
Gareth Bradbury
