alchalant, hailing from Detroit Rock City, is made up of Alex Matijow on vocals and guitar, Todd Errion on bass and vocals, and Chris Hobbs on drums. Their single “Grad Song” is a nostalgic piece of music that laments the innocent and care-free life of youth. The track is lyrically sound and extremely well-written. Anyone with a sense of youth that has passed will relate to the thoughtful lyrics and look back wistfully at happier times.
Vocally, the piece could use some work. Matijow is not always in tune and he is occasionally pitchy. He delivers with confidence though, and the lyrics are easy to understand. Instrumentally, “Grad Song” is executed well and these musicians have a solid grasp on the composition of music. However, there are moments of discord within the track when the rhythm section seems to be off the barest beat. This tends to add to the charm of the song, but for those few seconds, listeners may have to take a step back and reassess what they are hearing. As for the sound quality, it is not terrible, but the drums sound tinny at times and the vocals tend to override everything else. A thorough re-mixing is suggested.
Overall, “Grad Song” is a solid piece of music with exceptional lyrics and a catchy rhythm; however it does need some attention. Alchalant is a band with talent, which is obvious while listening to this single, and “The Grad Song” is a good indication of what they can do. The lyrics are great and the composition of the piece is good as well, but Alchalant simply need to focus a bit more on the overall quality throughout and add a bit of polish to the sound.
Reviewed by Rhonda Readence
Rating: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
