Release of the Week 30/7 – Greta Van Fleet “When the Curtain Falls”
The previously unknown band from Michigan, USA, named after a woman from their local town, has exploded over the course of 2018. After the release of their first double EP in November last year, Greta Van Fleet debuted a show-stealing performance at Coachella in April this year. Finally, Greta Van Fleet has released a new single off their next full length LP, showing the world who this band of twenty-year-old brothers is.
Praised as the dawn of a new era for rock, the four-man band is reviving the psychedelic sounds of the early 1970s. There first EP, From the Fires, gave audiences eight new tracks that show these clear classical rock influences. From the high-energy drums, screeching guitar riffs and singer Josh Kiszka’s Robert Plant-inspired howling vocals, the band has earnt a reputation for acting as Led Zeppelin for millennials. Many are making the comparison, including Robert Plant himself, both as a praise and a criticism. In ‘When the Curtain Falls’, however, Greta Van Fleet are doubling down on their derivative sound, showing that their ability to even imitate the legendary Led Zeppelin is enough for them to begin their own rock renaissance.
The song opens with a chord reminiscent of The Beatles’ ‘Hard Day’s Night’ before exploding into guitarist Jake Kiszka’s bold electric riff. Like a true rock song, this seductive riff grounds the entire song around it, with chords and melodies playing with the tension and release of the scale, tying together the various parts of the track. The verses highlight both the band’s song-writing capabilities, with lyrics like “You’re in and out of fashion/in Hollywood of hell”, as well as singer Josh Kiszka’s range and huge husky voice. With raging drums and a frantic bassline, the verses are busy and exciting, as drummer Danny Wagner and bassist Sam Kiszka prove they have the same pure talent and musicianship that the other band members were blessed with. The chorus is a loud, colourful and joyful outcry of the title lyrics “when the curtain falls”. As the chorus breaks out and each of the band members give their best, with every guitar lick, vocal scat and drum fill layering it with the band’s revivalist sound. The song’s breakdown is more reminiscent of the contemporary rock scene, using the calm section to build anticipation and tension. Instead of bringing it home with a final chorus or breaking into a coda, however, this rock song gives the audience a raw, unadulterated guitar solo, during which each of the band members go all out, from Josh’s crazed vocal howls to Jake’s insane guitar melody. As the song comes to its conclusion, the drums, guitar, bass and vocals are out of control, screeching and roaring over the top of one another, squeezing every last drop of energy from the listener before coming to a crashing halt.
If rock music was born in the 1960s from rebellious counter culture and reborn in the 1990s from angst and anger, the 2018 renaissance of rock has been born from the vibrant energy and infectious joy bands like Greta Van Fleet have over being able to play, experience and live in the revived sound of this legendary genre.
