Introduction
Today we are reviewing the latest single by Gianni Scalera & The Jury Scruff Of The Neck. The track wastes no time showcasing what the band can do, pairing chunky riffs, booming bass, massive drums and gritty vocals. Speaking of vocals I get reminded of Black Stone Cherry here, let’s just say the band from Medway are only going to grow in reputation. Read the full review below.
Review
The track opens in an almost scrambled state, forged from the guitar riff that gives the impression of the sound is coming from somewhere else. On a decent surround-sound system I can only fathom how amazing that would sound.
The arrives the bass: thick, booming and intent on playing cat and mouse with the guitar. It’s a simple yet incredibly effect arrangement, one in which both flourish. When they final converge the payoff is fantastic. There’s this brief moment too where both drop off before the drums come crashing in. That bit of musical restraint only highlights the muscular introduction to the track.
My only reservation with the songs opening is how long it takes to get to the vocals. At roughly 50 seconds in, we’re still waiting for the singer to get out of the taxi. I personally would have aimed closer to 30 seconds. Sure there is nothing inherently wrong with an extended instrument introduction. But in reality in a world where listeners abandon tracks within seconds, the longer wait is a gamble.
Thankfully, the vocals are more than capable of justifying the wait time. There’s this grizzly edge to the singer’s tone that feels tailor made for hard rock. While it also carries enough attitude without becoming overbearing. Think Chris Robertson from Black Stone Cherry.
I particularly enjoy the backing vocals that appear almost immediately, with different members of the band seemingly contributing their own unique textures to the mix. It’s subtle, but it gives everything much more depth and prevents things from going stale.
The chorus is where the band finally take the handbrake off. The vocals become bigger and much more expressive, while the remainder of the band respond with a surge of intensity. The added weight however never becomes too much and the mix remarkably never becomes messy. Everything remains in its lane, the bass is prominent, the guitars retains it bite and drums add plenty of impact.
“Never will I break my back for you again.”
I love this line from the lyrics, because the showcase just how well they can deliver conviction in a song.
I do however become slightly less convinced by the extended instrumental part in the middle of the song. I get that musicians need room to breathe, and technically I appreciate the want to show off their skills. But 45 seconds feels like a pretty damn long time to take the foot off the accelerator. I suspect trimming this down would have not effected the overall impact. In fact I’d argue there is a 3:45 second version of this song in an alternative universe that scores even higher.
And yet, I find myself questioning my logic almost immediately. There’s a guitar solo later on that I would have thrown a paddy about had it been removed. So perhaps I’m not the best person to complain about unnecessary indulgance.
Ultimately, the technical execution of this track is hard to fault. The band clearly know how to make a satisfying riff, drum patterns that are impactful and a bass that is actually prominent in the sound. All while complimenting each other.
I still think there are a few spots where the song could have been more economical with the listeners time. But when the band let loose the results are absolutely impressive. There’s always a riff, groovy or hook that holds everything together too.
Trim a little of the excess you have a sharper track, but there is no denying this band know how to make noise. More importantly, how to make it sound bloody great!
80/100
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