SickWalt – Heart of a Buffalo (2022)
Known for their high-powered, energetic live performances, being at a SickWalt concert is like having 1000 volts of sonic electricity sent down your spine. Of course, this is metaphorical. I mean, while SickWalt can bowl you over we don’t want anyone to be electrocuted. Already, sending shivers down our spine, the US-based quartet caught our attention with their track ‘Oh Weh Ha’ back in March. Now we are taking a look at, or rather listening to one of their recent releases – ‘Heart of a Buffalo’.
One of the tracks off their EP Maxxed, ‘Heart of a Buffalo’ adopts a slower, more soothing quality as compared to ‘Oh Weh Ha’ and ‘Your Lies’. Retaining the old-school rock and roll style, SickWalt brings the power of 70s rock to contemporary audiences in a charming ballad. Combining powerful guitars with strong drums and frontman Walt Novak’s gritty vocals, SickWalt effortlessly weaves a kaleidoscopic sonic tapestry. It is this tapestry that captivates audiences as it glimmers in an otherworldly manner. The interesting thing is, while there is a haunting to the track it is not from an ethereal, cinematic arrangement. No, the haunting is from the warmth in the vocal execution and hard-hitting instrumentation.
We already know that SickWalt’s melodic arrangement is mind-blowing, but it is the lyrical content that adds something special to ‘Heart of a Buffalo’. Penned as a tribute to band co-founder Max Capshaw, ‘Heart of a Buffalo’ touches on issues of integrity, confidence, nobility, strength and honour.
“I roam my New York city streets with the same freedom, nobility and strength that the Great American Buffalo roams the prairies of our country. The phrase originated from our respect for the spirituality of the American Indian. The Indian’s divine connection to the land and the animals that lived off it. Max and I always tried to instil those beliefs into our daily lives…. We grazed and fed on the energy of the city streets which gave us our strength, confidence and education of humanity…” – Walt Novak (SickWalt) on ‘Heart of a Buffalo’
Once again winning my heart with hard-hitting instrumentation, gruff vocals and an almost palpable tenderness, SickWalt find their way into my heart with ‘Heart of a Buffalo’.
In addition to the single, SickWalt released an official video for ‘Heart of a Buffalo’. You can view the video below or on their YouTube channel.
For more from SickWalt check out their official website, Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
