If you have listened to enough indie music, the sunny guitar tone on Held’s “Standby” will start to sound tragically familiar. The clean psychedelia of the electric guitar is now a common sound that has made its way through modern indie for years. Thankfully, such a guitar tone merely sets the scene for what is to come: a pink explosion of shoegaze with the heavenly crunch of Swervedriver or Jesu.
As the first single off of Held’s upcoming EP Star Falling, “Standby” is a bright and fiery track that battles between the heavy crunch of guitars and the serenity of the composition, which includes rays of synth shining through the chorus. The song packs an emotional intensity with the soft, meditative vocals of songwriter Daniel Phoansavan. By the time you have gotten used to the balance of the formula, the song gives way to an ending sure to inspire headbangers.
Whatever genre you may give this (post-rock, post-metal, metalcore), you can never say that the song isn’t epic. And if this song is just a piece of what one can expect from the upcoming EP, expect the best.
Take a listen to “Standby” below.
Written by mynameisblueskye
