Take It Back has a distinct aura of that live and organic rock sound from the 60’s, something we barely hear these days. Music from The Doors comes to mind a little, the way in which the song develops; story wise, instrumentally, melodically – every moment unexpected, but somehow making a fair amount of sense once it’s happened.
The design of this song is superb; the Queen-like electric swagger of those momentary guitar slides, the industrial shudder of those intermittent rhythmic taps, and the overall repetitive and captivating nature of that hook line. It’s something you’re almost certain you’ve heard and loved for quite a while, yet this is categorically the very first time you’ve heard it. It bears mentioning again; the ways in which the music of Mike Bee and the Dead Soldiers will affect you are unpredictable, and unlike anything you’ll have experienced in music in recent years.
By this point, the EP as a whole and functioning unit of musicality is something that starts to settle into place. The songs are clear and concise as elements of this art; the collection is memorable, yet your awareness of their depth is limited by memory – the true magnitude of the experimentation and creative freedom is something you can only re-light by listening again. There are moments of grunge-like funk in this song that are as bizarre as they are attractive, and all the while, as this music plays, the three melodies take their turns in drawing your attention – right into the centre of the song.
There’s so much going on, but like with much of the music on this EP, the longer you listen – the more it all starts to take the shape of something strong and reliable. There’s a reason the songs have been made in such unusual ways, and by listening, you take those necessary steps towards understanding; towards letting the tracks rewire your perspective on what a song is supposed to do. The music is new and exciting, and completely free of barriers.
Listen to and read our write-ups for Despise The Lie, Black Sun, Won’t Walk Away, and Walkerswood. Grab your copy of the EP over on CDBaby.
https://soundcloud.com/user-501827217/take-it-back?in=user-501827217/sets/mike-bee-and-the-dead-soldiers
