Big Sexy – “Roads Of Dust” / “In The Shadow Of Good”

Big Sexy – “Roads Of Dust” / “In The Shadow Of Good” – Singles Review

First of all, I’ll say this…I pushed play on “Roads Of Dust” by Big Sexy and I could literally feel the smile creep across my face as I wondered whether or not this duo of Gary Maccagnone and Alex Goroshko are ever going to make some kind of noticeable misstep one day, or if they’re just always going to release tunes that are as stunningly flawless as this single, and all the music I’ve heard from them in the past has been so far.  As I tell you around these parts of the internet from time to time, it’s hard to complain about perfection when you hear it, and I never feel all that inclined to try to find a way to do that when none should exist.  Good lord these two talented!  It’s always a pleasure to listen to new tunes by Big Sexy, but it is also continually amazing to hear the incredible consistency they play with.  We’re talkin’ about stellar bass-line grooves leading the way…we’re talkin’ about absolutely fantastic keyboards in the mix…we’re talkin’ about tight drum beats, sparkling percussion, and a guitar solo of the highest caliber – everything you wanna hear is not only present and accounted for, it’s seriously irresistible to listen to.  It’s also a LOT for the musical mind of Goroshko to handle on his own if you’re looking at the split of this duo’s duties on paper I suppose, but if YOUR music came out sounding as good as Big Sexy’s does, I doubt you’d be too tempted to go messing about with the formula either.  I can only imagine what it would be like to be Gary over in America, waiting to hear what his counterpart from Ukraine has come up with next and how damn cool it would be to open up an unfinished track like “Roads Of Dust,” just waiting for the vocals to be added.  Now…I do not know the full story of how this song came to be, but if there’s any weight to these theories of mine, I’d be willing to bet that Gary got a hold of the instrumental and immediately put pen to paper.  I listen to “Roads Of Dust” and it truly sounds like one of those songs where absolutely everything fell into place as naturally as it could ever be done.  Like, when WE listen to the music, we’re instantly feeling this tune – now just imagine what it would have been like for Gary!  He’d be in the same boat as the rest of us of course, because you can’t listen to this song and not start feelin’ it flow from your head to your toes…but truly, imagine having this song come to you as a blank canvas, and how quickly a singer/songwriter like Gary would know exactly how to go about making the magic happen in this tune.  They’ve put on a masterclass of how to go about doin’ everything right on “Roads Of Dust,” and I’d honestly be hard pressed to find any single element that I like any more than the rest of what surrounds it.  There are some genuinely jaw dropping moments, like the first spot where you hear Gary’s vocals add to the slickness of the sound, or the immaculate guitar solo in this tune, or the way they build the song to its Big Sexy climax around the 3:10 mark and surge to the end – it’s all just so damn good & so dang smooth that “Roads Of Dust” can’t help but have you turning it UP.

To be incredibly real with you, and give you all a peek behind the curtain that you might not have taken yet yourselves…lest we forget, Goroshko is based in Ukraine, which has been locked in a senseless war started by Russia…and obviously, things can’t be all that easy over there right now, to say the least.  To think that Alex has still been able to make such incredible music, with such a remarkable level in all of his attention to detail, with all of this insanity going on in the background…excuse my language, but it’s fucking inspiring, ain’t it?  Amidst what I’m certain would have to be one of the toughest times he and his loved ones back home have had to endure in their lifetimes, Alex is clearly choosing joy as an act of resistance, and I’ve got a world of respect for that.  You can read more about how the war has affected the music of Big Sexy and the plans they have for when it’s finally over in their bio at Spotify…and we’re definitely hopeful for their future ahead over here where I live.  Canada supports Ukraine, and Big Sexy.

“In The Shadow Of Good,” is their latest release this year…and I believe if I’ve got the details correct here, it used to be called “Evil Lurks In The Shadow Of Good” at one point, prior to it coming out.  As with all-things-Big Sexy, you can expect to find the impeccable musicianship you’ve become accustomed to…the amazing guitar solo, the stunning vocals from Gary…the fireworks in the mix of the instrumentation…it’s all there for ya.  Sound-wise, you’ve got something in this single that sits in between the familiar rhythm and stomp of a “Roadhouse Blues” type of Blues/Rock and rolling, combined with the sleekness and soul you’d find in something along the lines of “Black Velvet” by Alannah Myles…sprinkle in a little extra dash of showmanship, and voila, you’ve got something close to what you’ll find here.  Ultimately, they create a very stylish brand of music in Big Sexy that always bears the hallmarks of what’s revered in Classic Rock, but it’s a suit that seems to fit them like a glove.  I like to believe that’s the effect of what it sounds like when you really love the kind of music you make – you own it, but in return, it kind of owns you too…it forms this wonderfully symbiotic relationship where you borrow a little from the style of music you personally love to listen to, and give so much back to it by making more of it, you feel me?  So, sure…I mean, it’s always going to be fair to say that you’re not likely to find much in that scenario that would necessarily push the sound of music forward, but Big Sexy is full proof that this approach can still yield tunes that are really damn good.  Beyond that, I’m fully aware that there’s a solid market for a Classic sound in the modern era…not only are there plenty of folks that want to hear something new that reminds them of something old they would have loved, but there are just as many newcomers to music in the younger generation that are currently latching onto what the 70s/80s music scene had to offer, so there’s just as much of a chance of catching listeners across a wide spectrum when it comes the age range that would tune into “In The Shadow Of Good.”  All the bonus points I’ve got to give out here go to the use of trumpets and horns and such…I thought that made for an exciting addition to the level of drama and intensity in the melody of this song.  I’ll readily admit that of the two tracks I’ve got here, “Roads Of Dust” is the track that piques my interest the most, but with the consistency in the quality of the music this duo puts out, you might very well feel that “In The Shadow Of Good” is your favorite of the two.  You can’t really lose when it comes right down to it, so get on out there & push play with confidence y’all – Big Sexy always brings their A-game to their music.

Find out more about Big Sexy from this multi-link here:  https://linktr.ee/alexgoroshko8

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