If you have the will there is always a way. You do not have to be stuck with the hand you are dealt if you are willing to work hard and adapt to your surroundings. The members of recent find The Forgotten 45’s are a testament to this.
The rock band based in Olympia, Washington has developed an original sound borrowing from some of the classic music and raw energy of the past. You would have never guessed that this foursome had some very different and interesting paths to The Forgotten 45’s. A Singer who learned to speak from his mother teaching him Beatles songs; a drummer born deaf until his hearing developed slowly a a young age; a classically trained singer/violinist turned into a guitar player and a bass player who trained for years in a church’s gospel group to come together into an indie pop force.
The Forgotten 45’s sound brings in influences from the last 50 years in popular and not-so-popular music. The true goal of the group though is to just connect with their audience. There is no posturing as huge stars off on a gigantic stage somewhere. These guys just want to write music that resonates with each listener no matter what their current state of mind.
The latest album by The Forgotten 45’s is the full length Stop. The 10 track record shows off their influences and original style quite well. The opening title track “Stop” brings out some psychedelia with echoing guitars bouncing from speaker to speaker as the warmth of the vocals welcomes in the listener to a place that is safe and cozy even if sounds will come out of anywhere from time to time.
The heat continues with “Pink Azaleas”, a 50’s pop radio classic sounding track that demands head swaying and sing-a-longs. The mellow beat and vocal harmonizes will put a smile on anyone’s face. After a mellow start the energy explodes on “Fragile Beauty” with a strong drumming performance and guitar solos more reminiscent of the grunge filled 90’s than the previous 50’s sound. Somehow even with this more aggression fueled sound, the warmth remains. It is difficult to place a finger on why but I like it. On “Wallow In The Mire” the rock vibe continues with a more classic tone. Again the harmonies stand out forming that welcoming warm sound. Really can’t say enough good things about this album and the warm mental place that it manages to put the listener in. Give this one a listen from start to end. Keep up with the band and their music at: http://theforgotten45sband.com/
