I don’t think I’m alone in this when I say that it’s been some time since I’ve heard a true rock sound coming from my radio speakers. I’m not going to say that I’m the hugest rock fanatic, but I bet you can’t find one person that doesn’t sometimes feel the urge to blast a little Guns N’ Roses on their way home from work.
While Guy Grogan may not resemble that particular hair band rock, he seems to successfully embody the more classic rock notions that you might get from bands like The Beatles and The Beach Boys. Combining that with a modern day indie sound, Grogan makes for a truly unique listening experience. Coming from Santa Fe, New Mexico, he is no stranger to music — he already has nine albums under his belt.
Something that makes him different from other bands is that he is the band. He does everything himself, from vocals to guitar to drums to piano, and that’s not even the end of the list. If you’re not already impressed by his musical repertoire, you’ll get a full one-man show from his latest album Dynamite Bouquet.
Guy Grogan’s One-Man-Show
The album was released on February 23 and gives you the Indie vibes that you never knew you were missing out on. The album starts out with “My Own Way Out” which started off with a reiterating electric guitar and drum combination. Lyrically, this track sounds like nothing that I can describe. The best way that I can put it is that it makes me think of a garage band. Grogan gives the feeling that he’s fresh in the game even though he’s got a lot of music history behind him.
Which isn’t to say that he sounds inexperienced. Rather, he still manages to keep true to the origins of rock, or any type of music for that matter: starting out in your garage, practicing daily to create a sound that will eventually reach out to millions. His music is filled with the energy of youth. The guitar solo that starts at the 2:27 mark has nothing amateur about it. It is classic in the most amazing way, something that a lot of rock music tends to miss the mark on these days.
“River Like A Cry” is the third song from the album, and beautifully combines a sound similar to “Tonight, Tonight” by The Smashing pumpkins with instruments similar to something that you’d hear at a school dance in the 1950s. It’s a strange yet effective combination that will make your heart weep. The emotion that is portrayed in this song is intense, to say the least.
One of my personal favorites from Dynamite Bouquet would have to be “Pseudo Euphoria.” It’s definitely one of the most feel-good tracks you’ll hear on the album, especially considering the title of the song literally means “not true happiness.” The ability to make a song that describes feeling lost and filled false happiness and make you feel so happy and upbeat with it is a measure of true musical talent.
I simply couldn’t write this article without mentioning “What If I Told You.” The longest track on the album starts off with a slow, melodic acoustic guitar number that leads into vocals that are already too emotional to be able to describe. The guitar seems to be in a place far away, lightly adding a touch of sound while the vocals are intense, yet soft and silky. Listen with headphones to really amplify this song’s effects.
Guy Grogan definitely hit the nail on the head with this album. Whether you’re a fan of classic rock, indie rock, or oldies, you’ll find something that you can take away from Dynamite Bouquet.
Check out the album in full on Bandcamp or SoundCloud.
