Review Summary: Arson Daily, blues/funk/soul band from Boone, NC, start strong with their debut album.
A blend of blues and funk/soul, Arson Daily hit all of the right notes with their debut album in 2016. The band cites their influences as bands such as the Arctic Monkeys and Cage the Elephant, and this really shines through in the guitar playing of Chip Cannon and the vocal stylings of Zach Dunham.
The album opens with the track “Ride”, which sets the scene with a tight drum groove, provided by drummer Adam McLean, gradually bringing in the whole band with bluesy guitar licks by guitarist Chip Cannon and a bass line just as groovy as the drums by bassist Quincy Platt. The song continues to groove through the verse, then quiets down for the pre-chorus. The drums build into an explosive chorus, helped out by the vocals of Zach Dunham. A few choruses and a guitar solo later, the song ends very naturally, which allows for a smooth transition into the next track, “Along”.
“Along” has a pretty contrasting sound to “Ride”. Reminiscent of older blues and surf-rock, the song includes ambient drums and guitars complimenting the haunting vocals of Dunham very well. Though feeling a bit darker than the first song, it remains upbeat and keeps the energy of the album flowing into a very abrupt ending that moves right into “Say My Name Softly”.
“Say My…” lays the album back a little bit, with a bit slower tempo and relaxed guitars. McLean and Dunham keep the energy up, though, and don’t let the song fall flat. The song never loses the groove that the band has done so well to pull you in with at this point. The guitar solo by Cannon is definitely the high point of this track. Starting with some tasteful amp feedback and full of wah-pedal, the blues licks and huge bends push this song straight through to the end.
Farther down the track listing, “Disguises” is a well-deserved break from the high intensity and energy of the first couple of songs on the album. The song keeps the tempo moderate, but lays the drum groove way back and relaxes the guitar and bass lines to compliment the ambience and general feeling of the vocals. Finally at the end, Dunham starts to show a little bit more energy and emotion than the laid back vocal we’ve grown accustomed to over the course of the song. Overall, “Disguises” fits very well as the fifth track on the album, and gives listeners a chance to relax before jumping back into the action.
It’s a good thing “Disguises” was the break we needed, because Arson Daily wastes no time get right back to it with “Streetwalker”, the only track labeled “Explicit” on the entire album. Not even three minutes long, “Streetwalker” is full of explosive drums, driving bass lines, ripping guitar leads, and the energetic, slight raspy vocals of Dunham that the listener has come to love at this point.
“Pocket Change” isn’t much of a departure from the rest of the album, but “Won’t Be Me” is. Featuring an acoustic guitar in the verse, the song uses the electric guitar mostly for ambience. This track sounds more like indie-alt rock than the blues/soul sound of the rest of the album, and shows that the band can reach for other genres and incorporate them just enough into their writing to mix things up a bit. “Won’t Be Me” is refreshing to the listener, and sets the album up to finish out with “Slack” and “Untitled”.
“Slack” and “Untitled” bring the album to a close with the high energy, funk-blues sound that the band is coming to be known for. These two songs being at the very end leave the listener with a bit of a high and definitely wanting more.
Arson Daily have proven their worth with their debut album release, and in the future may very well be able to hold their own in the industry with their blend of indie and blues rock.
Find Arson Daily on Spotify: https://play.spotify.com/artist/6hmpBTWQqmloyOu0hq6s8q
