Frank Zeno – “Hey Hey!”

Frank Zeno – “Hey Hey!” – Single Review

“Why don’t you loosen up a little – whatcha got to lose anyway?”  #WordsToLIVEBy

There is all kinds of solid advice & friendly guidance found within the new single by Frank Zeno called “Hey Hey!” – in particular, that quote up top kinda said it all for me…or summed it up, in a lyrical sense.  As a dude that tends to dive headfirst straight into the music I’m listening, dissect it like the critical ear I’ve become, and voice about a hundred opinions in the stretch of any given article I write, it’s actually quite nice to get a reminder to relax & just let the music spin every once in a while.  “Hey Hey!” has got its perspective and point of view, sure – but largely, it’s a single built on smooth & stylistic vibes that encourages us all to chill out for a moment, put the politics away for a hot minute, and turn up for some tunes & good times.  Directly or indirectly – it’s all implied to a degree – and I suspect a track like this comes to fruition from a musical mind that understands we could all use some non-partisan relief right now…Frank’s got this song loaded up with some of that good ol’ common sense & an irresistible level of Funk running through your speakers.  A track that we can all universally agree on – so dig that, cool cats.

Everything sounds right on target here, with outstanding clarity in the mix that is worth the price of admission on its own, truly.  When you get a chance to check it out for yourself, you’ll know exactly what I’m talkin’ about…your ears will happily absorb every morsel of sound, and you’ll get what I’m sayin.’  For real y’all – I’m absolutely loving the crystal clarity & professionalism combined on “Hey Hey!” – the bass & keys keep this track movin’ & grooving with steady precision and a whole lotta radiant bounce threaded into this low-key Funk single, giving the guitars & drums even more freedom to keep kickin’ out this jam in even more exploratory ways.  For the most part, they stay safely right in the pocket of the main meat of this tune, but again, when you listen, who could blame them when this is the result?  Frank knows full-well what works for him & his sound…his main musical cohort Sonny Emory (Eric Clapton) certainly knows his way around the kit…you add in the personality of the keys and the smooth vibes of the bass-lines and voila, you’ve got the recipe for a track like “Hey Hey!” right in front of you.  Here’s the real crux of the matter though y’all – or, ”here’s some food for thought – can you hear what I’m mixin’?” as Frank would say – I could write out the ingredients, I could write out the specific parts of this song bar-for-bar for you all – you could TRY to play “Hey Hey!,” and you know something?  You MIGHT even come out with a half-decent cover version in the attempt.  The point I’m making is, a track like “Hey Hey!” is more about the moment and more about FEEL than it is anything ridiculously complicated…and obviously, the more complex a track like this would get, would be counterintuitive to the points being made about chillin’ out & goin’ with the flow anyhow, you follow me?  So Frank & the crew go the other route – the smarter route – and bring a set of simple ingredients combined in bass, guitars, drums, and keys, beaming to life with quality sound from the lefts to the rights, getting the maximum potential out of each instrument & every note.  Hard to complain about perfection y’all, and I ain’t gonna be the guy that gives that a shot…”Hey Hey!” is executed with undeniable professionalism from the performance to the production, and it’s so apparent on this single that no set of ears could possibly miss it.  Guitar-solo is short & sweet & filled with badass tone…I mean, sure, I could tell ya that maybe a couple more bars of that certainly wouldn’t hurt and I’d personally dig that – but I’ve got no objections to the killer piece we get.  Especially considering that the musicianship in general has been nothing short of outstanding the entire way through “Hey Hey!” – we’ve got plenty to listen to, and real masters of their craft at work.  Being the son of a keyboard player, I probably hear the contribution of that particular instrument in music a bit more than most…but in my heart of hearts, I fully believe that everyone out there listening to this single would hear just how essential it is to “Hey Hey” in the way it chimes in along the way to add that extra spark of personality or layer of color to support the rest goin’ on.  Sonny’s technique is off-the-charts cool, and he works in some fantastic highlight moments in the spotlight along the way – heck, even right off the drop as he starts this new single up before the rest join in!  Style reigns supreme in a track like “Hey Hey!” and the true authenticity of musicians that FEEL the music they’re playin’ – that’s what makes it possible to give out the recipe to anyone & everyone that wants it…because no matter who else might play this tune, they ain’t gonna play it like THESE GUYS play it for ya.  Fantastic job all-around…it’s a real laidback vibe for what the masses tend to consider a single to be, but the sensational musicianship & sound of “Hey Hey!” should have no problem pulling you all onboard for a healthy set of spins through its designer style, hypnotic grooves, and fully universal vibes.

Find out more about Frank Zeno at his official website at:  https://www.frankzeno.com

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