No Through Road – ‘Party To Survive’
With a record called ‘Winners.’ (yes, the full stop apparently part of the title – thanks for the trend, ‘Dear Science,’) and a press release stating that the band could play at a birthday party, wedding or wake, I wasn’t expecting to be blown away by No Through Road. Seriously, when was the last time you actually enjoyed listening to the band playing at a wedding? Fortunately, it turns out that these guys aren’t MOR exponents of foyer muzak – the only weddings and parties to which these guys could provide an appropriate soundtrack would be those held in grungy basements or sheds.
‘Party To Survive’ is a fantastic song that absorbs its simple, perhaps deliberately lo-fi qualities into an endearing aesthetc. Singer Matt Banham growls with the nonchalant energy of an early-90s slacker king through the distortion piled on top of his already-creaky voice. And don’t let the oddly-included electro into fool you, this song is all about the guitars. ‘We need to feel alright…/I need a party to survive’ are prominent lines from the chorus and, while the band certainly seem to be espousing hedonistic abandon, there’s a hint of desperation and sadness in Banham’s voice that adds an affecting depth to the refrain. This attention to delivery adds gravitas that is missing from many other superficial ‘party anthems’ and shows that a bit of intelligence behind even the simplest music can exponentially elevate proceedings.
May 27, 2009 5:45 pm
Recently saw them live they are fantastic act.
June 2, 2009 10:58 pm
Great song!