“Alive” arrives at a time that is nearly perfect for reminding gig goers to schedule at least one festival into their year. Some songs just seem born for outdoor sites populated by a mass of music lovers devoting a full day to performance experiences. Those songs are the inverse of most releases from singer/songwriters, which are good at a festival but better in an intimate indoor setting.
The guitar in “Alive” is well suited to travel across a festival area and penetrate any temptation to devote attention to one of the many distractions. The song by Walden is a conversation stopper. With each visit to the song’s chorus, a guitar hook draws listeners into its performance. Then at the 1:52 mark, an instrumental bridge begins and the urge for attention becomes a demand.
Sadly, many songs with a strong guitar disappoint in other areas. That is NOT the case with “Alive.” All four members of Walden contribute to the festival-ready strength of the song. The vocals are forceful for most of the track, but are equally commanding when the arrangement calls for less intensity. The keyboard carries the listener into “Alive” during the short intro, then cooperates with the bass to texture the remainder of the single. And at 1:02, Walden expertly executes a rare occurrence of a percussion-driven intensity drop, as the guitar disappears and the keyboard steps up.
Walden is based in Athens, Georgia. The members are Richard Becker (vocals, guitar), Eric Hangartner (vocals, keyboard, guitar), Jamie de Lange (bass), and Andrew "Rew" Mendel (drums). They have been playing together since high school. In 2016, they were successful in a competition to play during the Bonnaroo Music Festival, only to be disqualified because Eric and Richard were not yet 21. Undeterred, they re-entered the next year and won again.
Walden is scheduled to release an EP, “The Static,” on April 5, 2019. They explain that the EP “chronicles the band’s attempt to navigate through the perpetual noise that pervades everyday life in search of something else—something of true purpose and meaning which brings one a sense of truly feeling alive.”
“Alive” by Walden
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bandwalden
Website: http://www.walden.band/
“Axioms” by Walden
Walden's headline tour:
4/18/19 - Philadelphia, PA - World Cafe Live (Upstairs)
4/19/19 - New York City, NY - Rockwood Music Hall (Stage 2)
4/27/19 - Milton, GA - Rock for Rescues
5/4/19 - Atlanta, GA - Shaky Knees
7/5/19 - Memphis, TN - Levitt Shell Pavillion
Spotify
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