Leading up to their April 3rd release of Start/Stop (a 3-song EP), John Gamble and his Still Bones co-conspirators have released a new single, “Long Way”. These Baltimore bones are anything but still; the skeletons at Druid Ridge Cemetery are dancing, ‘cuz this track rocks!
Instead of over-producing and heavily layering guitar or keyboard tracks, Still Bones pleasantly resists that temptation and avoids the wall-of-sound approach found on 2024’s single “Little Luck”. Instead, they offer us a song that’s airy, full of space and breathing room, and has an angsty indie feel with some gut-punch punk thrown in. It certainly doesn’t hold back with the grit: It hits hard.
Light on lyrics, this is fundamentally a guitar song. Big growling fuzz comes in for the chorus, balancing the crispy lead lines maneuvering throughout. That said, the sparse but well-placed words tend to be snarled or enthusiastically shouted vocals (i.e., gone is the power pop nasal approach of 2021’s “Catharsis”). Gamble pens poignant, concise, and reflective lyrics that capture the need to survive in quite an anthemic way: “I won’t die young, ‘cuz I’m way too proud.” The last minute, after a momentary slowdown for a breath of air or a gulp of Natty Boh, is a fun, guitar-driven instrumental outro that I imagine will have the mosh pit at a show jumping.
Looking forward to the other two tracks on the new EP. Judging by their past diversity, I imagine all three will have their own sounds and personalities. Even more so, I’m looking forward to listening to the full-length follow-up to their 2021 LP Dopeful. Take a listen to “Long Way” below.
Written by Greg Gobel
