Groove Doctors 3 – “Live And Let Live”

Groove Doctors 3 – “Live And Let Live” – Single Review

Good name for this band, based on their sound.

Mind you, I might dispute the label of “high-energy” that came along with their information attached to this song, at least if I’m to judge them by the sound of “Live And Let Live” – it’s pretty chill.  T’ain’t bad though…I like what I hear…it’s kind of along the lines of something you’d find in The Dandy Warhols and has that inherent degree of old-school cool to it.  For the most part, I can’t hear anything that listeners would have any major objections to in what they’ll find on “Live And Let Live” – people should have no real problems warming up to this song and finding space for it on their summer playlists this year.

All-in-all, it’s an interesting song in the sense that it still sounds like there is plenty of opportunity for Groove Doctors 3 to sharpen things up overall as a band, but their single has come out with everything it would likely need to succeed as well.  They’ve got things in the right places for the most part.  I like the guitar from Michael Lawrence and how the sound/tone he’s using fits into this whole vibe they’re working with – that’s probably my favorite element, though a close second place would be the sound of the guy’s voice too – that’s another standout aspect of listening to “Live And Let Live.”  The bass from Glenn Chambers is pretty solid…though I think we could have a healthy debate about a split-second here and there along the way.  The drums from David Stowe are generally right where you’d wanna hear’em, but I’m not entirely in love with the sound of’em…I don’t think I’m necessarily disputing that they fit well enough, but yeah…not all that jazzed about the actual sound of’em…seems more synthetic than it might truly be.  Groove Doctors 3 also has four players as well…they’ve got a keyboardist named Dick Bourgault…and if he’s in here somewhere, I’m not quite sure about where that is.  He could be doubling with an instrument…I’m not certain…but I suppose my point is that there’s more room for him to make an impact on the Groove Doctors 3 sound if we’re not hearing any highly noticeable contributions, or he might be more of a factor when they’re playing live, again, I don’t know.  All I’m doin’ is tellin’ ya what I hear and reporting on the information in front of me…and yeah, there’s plenty of room in a spacious groove like “Live And Let Live” if they wanted to sprinkle in some additional color via the ol’ keyboards.  Not saying it needs it – like I said from the start, I think most listeners would have no problem enjoying this particular single – the song itself is intact, sounds good, and has vibrant hooks & personality as well.

It’s really only when jerks like me put things under the microscope that we would really notice any potential cracks in their armor.  I do think there’s space for the band to become a tighter unit based on what I’m hearing, but credit where credit is due too – they’ve only been around since 2023, and with respect to that, a track like “Live And Let Live” is arguably ahead of the game & where they should be at on their timeline, being so early on into their career as Groove Doctors 3.  So give’em time – they’ve clearly got the right idea and they know how to get the framework of a great song in place…now it’s all about refinement and pushing towards that next level, tightening the nuts and bolts and whatnot.  As far as the lyricism is concerned…I’ve got a few concerns there.  The structure itself is right on the money, and Michael finds excellent ways to make the vocals have the hooks you wanna find in the song’s verses and chorus.  Lyrically, we’ve got a few spots where I’d say the metering can still become tighter, a few words here & there that stand out in the way that sounds more written for the rhyme scheme than they do in terms of sounding like they’re saying what the band would really want to say…and all-in-all, we’re dangerously close to the self-help section, or the Live, Laugh, Love decorations you’d see displayed in Target.  Don’t get me wrong, the sentiment is sweet and I admire the message, but you’ll get what I mean when you have a listen for yourself…there are moments that work out great, but there are also spots that seem a little more forced on a lyrical level in comparison to the organic and natural flow that the song possesses.  Things like reaching “the ring” and the “golden string” – I’m not saying that I don’t get what they’re trying to say so much as I’m saying there’s a clearer way to go about sayin’ it, you feel me?  As far as the use of “spurned” goes…I mean hey, it’s a great word…you just don’t hear it all that often in our regular everyday speech, so it’s another one of those moments that potentially snaps you out of the groove for a moment to realize what you heard…and sometimes that can be a bit distracting.

There’s a lot of good stuff for them to work with here though, and I’d be the first to encourage them to continue to keep on keepin’ on – they’re absolutely on the right path.  When you’re not overtly critical like I am, and you’re just listening to “Live And Let Live” on a more surface level, I think it’s completely enjoyable and the kind of song you wouldn’t hesitate to turn UP – it’s fun, playful, and just like their name would imply, contains a whole lotta groove to it.  Credit to Glenn for that as well…when he’s at his best and most focused, his bass lines are what we feel at the core of this song, and also what provides the opportunity for the rest of the players to add personality into their own parts surrounding him.  The harmonies are well done, the hooks are ever present, and the vast majority of these pieces are all in the right place – “Live And Let Live” is a great introduction to the sound of Groove Doctors 3 that confirms they’ve got chemistry shared between them, and hints strongly to where their potential can take them from here.

Find out more about Groove Doctors 3 at their main website:  https://groovedoctors3.com

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