When you’ve got the kind of rock n’ roll pedigree a band like Candlebox does, the need to embellish a composition with a lot of frills the rookies would employ just isn’t present – thus, with acoustic strings and smoky PNW vocals to match, the band turns in yet another hit in their new ballad “Riptide” this January. Although it’s structured in the same vein as a lot of their previously released material, there’s a vitality to “Riptide” that suggests we’re anything but close to the end of this band’s relevancy. This may well be the first solid rock ballad of 2022, and it’s getting more than just Candlebox fans excited right now.
The first thing that really grabbed my attention in this single was the arrangement, specifically with regards to how elegant it feels from top to bottom. There’s no rush, no recoil, no hesitancy, either; this is a seamlessly constructed song that never feels like it’s going to careen over the edge into dreadfully predictable territory, which isn’t as common as it should be among active bands that made it big in the ‘90s. As far as classic rock enthusiasts should be concerned, this is a reliable standard for how modern content from an old-school source should be composed, produced, and executed.
Watch the video for “Riptide” below
A captivating listen for fans both old and new alike, Candlebox’s “Riptide” spellbinds with its fleeting harmonies and homespun melodic foundations, and I think it’s more than worthy of some serious buzz this season. As someone who grew up on this band’s tunes, it’s incredibly impressive to see and hear how on top of their game they still are, so many years into their campaign, and I think that if there’s one major takeaway from “Riptide,” it’s that their creative spirit is still operating on overdrive in 2022.
