Dusty Edinger – “Sometimes People Collide”

Dusty Edinger – “Sometimes People Collide” – Single Review

It’s funny…as I was watching the video for this new single, I immediately thought that Dusty’s either got the world’s most understanding dog (who was basically being used as a desk while he penned his lyrics to “Sometimes People Collide”), or it was AI.  It’s a cute little scene – one of many really – but yes, of course it’s AI…because what’s actually real anymore, right?  To his credit, according to what I’ve read online, there is at least 20% real footage threaded into the mix for the video, so there’s that.  It’s still fun to watch, and there is a wealth of good ideas put into the visuals, which Douglas Baker put together.

Anyhow.  You can check that out for yourself when you get a moment, and in the meantime, I’ll tell you a bit about what you’ll hear.  I think the first thing that struck me when I was listening to “Sometimes People Collide” was how clear it was that Dusty has grown up on a lot of Classic Rock.  While the song itself is arguably a bit more modern than what you’d find in the classics section, it still leans so heavily on its harmonies that you can help but compare it to the way bands from the Eagles to Steely Dan to Toto and back again used to prioritize and emphasize that aspect of their music when they’d put a new song out.  I’m sure there are better examples or comparisons out there to be made, but you get the point I’m making – “Sometimes People Collide” is borrowing from a recipe that’s been tried, tested and true without a doubt, but given it just enough of an upbeat spark and catchy hooks to make it relevant for today.  Dusty’s ultimately defying genres with his work here…if you’re not lumping him in with the fossils of Classic Rock, then you’d have to be looking at this as a modern-day Pop song of sorts, but it’s not that either.  It’s not Country either, despite the man’s name or slightly noticeable drawl…and it’s way too light for what we’d consider to be Rock-anything these days as well.  You see what I’m sayin’ folks?  It’s the same thing I’ve always said – don’t categorize your music, because genres are useless.

What I like a lot about “Sometimes People Collide” really comes down to a couple of key elements.  For me, I think the vocal flow & melody that Dusty has stumbled onto is magnificent here – it really, really works, and it’s insanely catchy when it comes right down to it.  Even the main hook of the lyricism in the chorus, where Edinger directly sings the title is fantastic!  When I generally look at the title of any tune, I know that’s likely going to be a part of the chorus because that’s just how human beings tend to write songs, and I’ll admit, I raised an eyebrow when I saw “Sometimes People Collide,” because I knew he’d have to be clever if he was going to dare to include that in the main hook of his new single.  I’m proud to report that’s exactly what it was like to listen to – it’s definitely clever – and I don’t think he could have gotten an ounce more out of the way he’s put “Sometimes People Collide” into the hooks of this song.  I also think that shout-outs are certainly deserved for a couple of the players he’s got with him in the band for this song.  The ultra-smooth bass from Billy Gewin, which is really what the vocals get tied to in order to make them come out as catchy & slick as they are, is genuine perfection.  The additional keys supplied by Mike Dimitri are also amazing – he’s got a true gift for understanding where to add in more character to the song, or more support for the melody along the way…and when you consider the fact that his solo might even be the most significant highlight for the musicians listening out there, I mean, it’s pretty clear that he was an essential ingredient to the overall results.  The rest holds its own…I think the guitar from Derrick Gaddis is good, it’s just not a prominent feature.  The drums from Dusty are what they are…it’s not a complex or involved part, he’s keepin’ the beat, and that’s all he really needs to do for a song like this where the vocals are ultimately the main feature.  On his own solo, Edinger has a few spots here & there that I’d imagine some of us will question as to whether or not he got 100% out of every single moment as he sings his way through this tune – but let’s give the man his due credit and say that the vast majority of it is right in line where you’d wanna hear it come out.  I look at it this way…he’s up on the tone of his register…like…closer to a Tom Petty kind of sound than the soulful swagger that a song like this could have been arguably calling out for, you know what I mean?  Different singers would end up coming out with a totally different approach, but the results would still be great, because the core material is pretty damn bulletproof.  I don’t mind the way that Dusty chose to sing this song at all on a personal level, but I’ll fully acknowledge he can get within a sonic inch of that BTO type of sound that nearly becomes a whine.  He manages to stay on track for the most part, and I think that’s kinda what saved him…but when you hear the extra rasp in his voice for the bridge prior to the solo, that’s also when you realize how versatile this song really is, and how it could have gone so many different directions that would have also worked when it came to how the vocals were gonna sound on “Sometimes People Collide.”  In any event, the real hero of this song, is indeed those harmonies we were talkin’ about at the very beginning – and that’s the spot where you’ll find Edinger’s vocals shining their brightest & the song at its most irresistible.  He really taps right into the charm of the melody at that point, and delivers with the confidence of the legends and veterans he’s no doubt spent his time listening to along the way throughout his journey to becoming an artist.  All-in-all, there’s plenty to dig on with “Sometimes People Collide” – it’s good, well-executed work, and it’s undeniably enjoyable.

Find out more about Dusty Edinger from his official website at:  https://www.dustyedinger.com

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