Rival Karma – Jesus is from Chico (2021)
With their single ‘Honey!’, Rival Karma filled our ears with contrasts from the bold melody and sombre topic. Their ability to create contrasts continues with their latest release ‘Jesus is from Chico’ while taking a slightly different approach. Through this single, the temper the passion for what they do with the feeling of missing out on the important every day things while on the road.
This introspective single was born while the band was touring and dives into the emotions that most touring artists feel at some point. While there is a deeply personal reflection woven into the single, there is something bigger at play. A moving single that bounds through genres and sounds, the track has you thinking while feeling the emotions they have infused into each note.
‘Jesus is from Chico’ grabs your attention with the push of the guitar in the opening. This is met by the laughing vocals that drop for a pulsing rock tone. There is an energetic feeling to the music that is tempered by a feeling of monotony. This contrasting feeling is enhanced by the vocals that bring the duality of the music to lyrical life. As the chorus hits, the flow of the music starts to soar and washes through your chest in the best possible way. Throughout the single, the music has this pulse to it that gets you moving to it while feeling the weight of the message woven into the vocals.
After the laughing opening line, the vocals ride in on the waves of the guitar for a smooth rock movement. You can feel the wind of the open road in the vocals but there is also a heaviness resting in the depths. The lyrics offer an insight into this feeling as they detail the struggles of being a touring musician and the weight this can bring. As with their last single, Rival Karma fill the soundscape with a contrast of tones that work together perfectly to bring the message of the track to life. While telling us something rather personal, there is this really engaging flow to the track that gets you hooked to it from the first guitar note to the rolling drums and the final pulse of the guitar.
Rival Karma continues to bring contrasts to their sound with ‘Jesus is from Chico’ which tempers passion with the weight of being on the road. The melody pulses with rock guitars that sweep you onto the road. The vocals bring the details of the struggle and bolster the contrasts creates by the music.
Find out more about Rival Karma on their website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
