The Black and White Years: "Power to Change"

(I heard this song early this morning and it has been haunting me as an appropriate anthem as we celebrate the last 4th of July of the Bush II administration. Then when looking for lyrics online I came across August 1's excellent review.)



Drink Up The Black & White Years' Self Titled Debut
by August 1
MOG: The Music Blogging Network

...

The catchy “Power of Change” is an example of the intricate soundscapes the group creates. The song begins with a hyperactive bass drum beat as well as a distantly echoing and indistinct vocal which you don’t realize is there until subsequent listens. The vibrant, quickly-bouncing reggae-tinged guitar kicks in while the punchy bassline just flat out jumps about with glee. A short clipped drumbeat & insistent hi-hat join in joyfully. As all the aforementioned is going on, a fuzzy, reverb-soaked synthesizer makes you feel like you just entered the stratosphere on a rocketship that is doing laps around the universe — all this before Mr. Butler starts his aching, gruff and warbly vocal. It’s a deceptively complex song that gradually builds with kinetic energy to an explosive climax. You won’t be able to keep your body from involuntarily moving, guaranteed. Yet the lyrics have a depth that belies the energy, since the song talks about the need to change from our usual destructive human behaviors.

To Read the Rest of the Review, Watch the video of "Power to Change" and listen to "Hysterical Sickness"