"Down South" is a testament to the way punk rock can be both raw and intricately structured simultaneously. And on top of the thoughtful architecture, pre-verse, verse, pre-chorus, chorus, bridge, and, hey, even a key change, there are the bones of something so careful, but at the same time, the blood pouring out of the music the genre demands. Its use of Drop C tuning at 432Hz supplies a dark and growling undertow, but there's an unexpected twist. The muscular drum groove, the vocals, and the bright key change in the chorus all conspire to raise the spirits just sufficiently to keep the ears guessing.
The most appealing thing about "Down South," perhaps, is its refusal to chase after the modern digital polish. No drum replacements. No over-processed textures. Just Carter Luera's gritty vocal and guitar, Mike Shirley's heady, punchy and reliable basslines, and Sal Castro's live, vocal drum energy. It's a living kind of record, a record with warts, as if you were sweating it out right next to them in some divey watering hole off some Texas back road somewhere.
Something about the track, like the warmth of it, despite the tuning and brood of it, is also, strangely, refreshing. On "Down South," Charming Scars are proving they're more than another indie-punk band. They are storytellers with distortion pedals and one eye on something real. If this is track three, we are already counting down to the rest of it.
Reviewed by LyricalOdyssey Music
on
July 02, 2025
Rating:
No comments: