Michael Raven – “Bends It Like A Guitar String”
Michael Raven – “Bends It Like A Guitar String” – Single Review
Country…you’re such a weird genre these days.
I guess that’s what we’re supposed to call this track? I dunno…I don’t really feel like just going with what I’m told by hype or by press releases…especially when my ears tell me something totally different. Country-Rock, which I do see listed by Michael Raven’s name in other places online…I guess that’s fair enough…I ain’t gonna put the confusion of the genre squarely on the man’s shoulders all on his own. Though notably, if you’ve watched the video for his new single “Bends It Like A Guitar String,” starring the man himself, you’ll see a set of broad shoulders that could clearly carry the weight of a small village.
Anyhow. Lemme explain. Close your eyes for a moment as you’re listening to “Bends It Like A Guitar String” and just hear me out…Michael could have just as easily been an Alternative artist as a Country one, you feel me? Listen to the way the main hooks work on this single, will ya? You telling me that a band like Alice In Chains wouldn’t have slayed a song like this back in the day? They absolutely would! Yet here we are, in the modern-day era, where the genre of Country has basically expanded to include pieces of just about every other style and sound under the sun, and is easily one of the most diversified kinds of music you’ll find in any corner of the scene today. Which to be clear, I ain’t hatin’ on…I think that the world is largely going in that direction already in many ways. Think about it…we’ve got all kinds of jobs where there are single roles that cover the ground of what four separate jobs used to do…we’ve got sports heading into ‘positionless’ terrain where the players are capable of all things…we’ve got some of the most successful names in music also building careers on being versatile and crossover sound – so hell, why not sound more along the lines of something like Alternative music with a splash of Country to it like Michael does on “Bends It Like A Guitar String?” Don’t get it confused with Alt-Country though, because this ain’t that either (see how weird this whole game with labels and genres gets?) – that’s a whole separate sound and totally different than this. As far as it being billed as a party tune…honestly, I’m the last guy anyone should look to confirm something like that…I wouldn’t know a song that belongs at a party if it bit me square in the ass. Never sat on a tailgate even once in my life, and never plan to. Do I have the FOMO because of that? Not even close. I know who I am, and I’m comfortable with that.
All I’ve ever claimed to know anything about, is music, full stop. Do I like Raven’s song? Sure. About as much as I’m capable of liking stuff that’s inside the Country realm I suppose, but perhaps a little more due to the FACT that it does indeed, have an Alternative edge to it. That’s what I think has me questioning its party vibe-ness I guess…if this song is designed to be fun, it sure as hell sounds like that fun comes along with a boulder-sized chip on its massive shoulders. This is man-music; I don’t really know if there’s a dedicated genre to that, but I suspect in this day & age we’re not too far off it being created if it ain’t one yet. Is there a sweetness to it? Sure. You could still make the argument that Michael’s actually written a love-song with “Bends It Like A Guitar Song” believe it or not. I don’t know that I’m gonna go as far as to say he’s got the poetic lyricism that would rival Keats, Wordsworth, or Shelley…but I do think in his own muscled and overtly masculine way, he does have the framework of what is really a love-song at its core. It’s all about “that kind of girl that’s impossible to not have you mesmerized” from what I’ve read…and yeah, I can get behind Raven having communicated that effectively in his lyrics, punctuated by the gripping way the music is structured…sure, I could see this song being the kind of show-stopper that would echo the sentiment of what this single’s all about.
Beyond that, I feel like personality is going to suit this guy well as he continues to breakout as an artist that’s new on the scene. With a sound like you’ll hear on “Bends It Like A Guitar String,” he could easily open up for a band like Nickelback, or those closer to the genre he’s gunning for like Morgan Wallen or Zac Brown…he’s gonna have plenty of options really. Do I wanna claim him for the Alternative genre? Yes. Yes I do. I think he’d have plenty of success in that particular genre if he wanted to go in that direction…but alas…Country it is…for now. Dude’s obviously got a LARGER THAN LIFE personality, and that’s gonna help him big time when it comes to establishing his name out there in the scene. A song like this would go over massively well in a dedicated biker bar, you know what I mean? It’s got grit to it, and as to whether or not that makes it a party-appropriate tune or not…I’ll leave for you partygoers to decide. All I can tell ya is that the man is already executing at a professional level, and I’m not hearing any concerning issues in this debut single at all…the music is tight, the vocals are solid, the song itself is structured to make an impact, and could easily have flames & fireworks along with it when being played live. More than anything else, I think Michael Raven’s main attribute is presence…the guy has got a full metric TON of that good stuff…and the more he leans into that, the further he’s likely gonna go with his tunes. Great start to his career without a doubt though…the masses will dig this single, I’m sure of it.
Find out more about Michael Raven from his official website at: https://michaelraven.com
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