Count Our Losses – “Brand New Ordinary”
Count Our Losses – “Brand New Ordinary” – Single Review
Crisp & clear, kickass Punk…hard to argue with that.
So here’s what I can tell ya. When I have been searching for that extra spark of solid melodic Alt/Rock, I have reached several times for Nick Passio’s other band 1FM and their Wish You Well EP as the answer throughout the years since like…jeez…2016? Yikes. The world was so very, very different back then wasn’t it? This song “Brand New Ordinary” from his new project Count Our Losses will attest to that. Anyhow…the point is, Nick’s long been a superhero in my universe and I’m stoked to hear him back in action. If he’s gonna blue-ball us all & keep 1FM on the shelf for another four years then maybe I’ll change my mind…but doubtful…he’s contributed extraordinary doses of rad music through these speakers surrounding me here at sleepingbagstudios already, and it sure sounds like he’s fired-up to create some more this year – so as much as I might hope for another 1FM record in this lifetime, truthfully, I’m really just stoked to know this dude is back where he belongs doing what he’s meant to be doing, in whatever vehicle he wants to drive there with. Bring on the “Brand New Ordinary” I say!
Or…that is…I mean…we’re already livin’ it I suppose, aren’t we? In a world filled with fractured politics & bullshit policies that don’t serve the public as they should – “Brand New Ordinary” comes off the top ropes with its raw energy & fierce Punk attitude to highlight what’s grossly inadequate in society & serve up audible solutions. While politics are certainly no stranger to the genre, and the entire sound of Count Our Losses fits right into all-things-Punk with ease – it’s equally important to acknowledge the many dimensions & depth a song like “Brand New Ordinary” has fundamentally at its core. It’s a shout-out to change, it’s an attack on the establishment, it’s direct & unapologetic in its lyrical details – but they don’t skip out on adding the necessary degree of hope & possibility in laying out their case for the “Brand New Ordinary” – and arguably, in the process, I mean…I’ll be damned if they haven’t gone about creating the new anthem for 2020. “We were once United States, now we’re United Mistakes – status quo must be replaced, a brand new ordinary” – talk about nailing the straight bejeezus out of a chorus…that’s a huge home run and a tiny fraction of the insightful words you’ll find running rampant through this modern-day protest tune.
It’s really got all the elements of great Punk at work from beginning to end. I’m not 100% sure on how all the pieces fit into place, but I’d tell ya if there was an awkward fit to be found…there just ain’t one. I know that Nick’s playing in Count Our Losses proudly with his fifteen year-old son – other than that, this project’s still so new that I really don’t know much else aside from the kickass sound of this here single – but like I said, if there was something amiss here, I’d point it out like I always do. I might not know who does what exactly, but I can tell ya that “Brand New Ordinary” has everyone in the mix not just holding their own, but grippin’ it & rippin’ it as they surge through this badass single-worthy cut. Believe me when I say…’surge’ doesn’t even do the energy you’ll discover the justice in words – the pace they set & stick to makes enormous demands, but the results come out with the same exceptional quality & spot-on professionalism as everything I’ve ever heard from Nick’s music in the past. Excellent bass tones, superhuman drums, flawless grit & edge in the vocals when it’s called for, powerful harmonies & smooth vocal-melodies when it’s not – and a full blast of blazing guitars rampaging through the heart of this cut to give “Brand New Ordinary” that extra spark & juice your ears wanna hear along with it all – this single plays like a fireworks finale from start to finish. I told ya from the get-go in this review, it’d be tough to complain about what you’ll find in Count Our Losses or this big shiny tune they’ve got here – so I’m not gonna! Wall-to-wall solid musicianship, lyricism with genuinely insightful perspective, and the requisite ability to speak truth to power & shout-out for what’s right when it matters most, like great Punk is known for, is all fully in-check – Count Our Losses gets my vote.
Find out more about Count Our Losses at their official page at Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/countourlosses
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