May 14, 2021 | Writer: Eric Reyes
Planet Case is bursting with talent and passion in their newest release, โTake My Pride.โ
That opening guitar set the tone for the entire song, really. Something risky, with an unorthodox tune. Their bio lists them as โAlt Rock/Pop/โ and Iโm reminded of a joke I heard in school; anything that doesnโt fit easily into a specific genre but is catchy and appealing is tagged as โPop.โ In the case of Rock that doesnโt try-hard its way onto a specific rack at the record shop, itโs labeled โAltโ with a shrug. Planet Case has something special, their sound, their spirit, all of it, impressed me and has plenty to offer.
Genre and industry critiques aside, this is one of the few songs that had a special spark in it that made me an instant fan. I mentioned passion earlier, and that is the simplest way to describe every element of the bandโs performance. Where often in โpopโ you get a phoned in performance that is given a little falsetto and shout to give the impression of emotional investment, I felt every syllable sung in this track. The vocalist has a bright and wonderful tone that doesnโt try to stay within a narrow track to avoid upsetting the manufactured instrumental accompaniment. Heโs a frontman, heโs a singer, and heโs amped to be performing with his band, making their music. Thereโs investment, thereโs pride (no pun intended).
The instrumentals and the mix are partners in this musical endeavor, rather than servants or masters. Instead of being the core focus with a vocalist tossed in for some kind of ersatz structure for casual listeners, the backing is integral to the sound, to the spirit. The โPopโ element of their labeling comes in here, however, as the production is crisp and definitely worked to its full effect to glide along the more traditional instruments.
About the only part of their tag Iโll agree with is โAltโ as in โAlternative.โ This is something new and fresh, an alternative to the organ-grinder parade of samey, uninterested, formulaic music that gets pumped into our shopping malls, dentistโs offices, small-town radio stations and โtop suggestionsโ lists. Take a chance, become a fan like I did. You wonโt regret it.