Single Review: Golden State – ‘World on Fire’
2 min read
Californian four-piece Golden State haven’t been around for too long in the grand scheme things, having only been a band for about two years. However singer/guitarist James Grundler has been searching for the right fit for his musical talents since the split of his previous band Paloalto in 2004. This isn’t an easy task for anyone to do, it takes guts to carry on after a split.
Think about it in terms of breaking up with a girlfriend/boyfriend. First comes the inevitability that it’s all over, then comes the panic that you might not find anyone else. After that you start looking around for someone new, and after probably a lot of partying and a few fun but wrong choices you end up with, if you’re lucky, someone who’s a great fit for you.
James Grundler has found the long term girlfriend he was looking for with Golden State, and with one album under their belts in Division, new track World on Fire shows a band becoming aware of their sound.
With a great opening of vocal harmonies leading into stomping drums and a catchy guitar riff, World on Fire starts off enigmatically and keeps the energy up throughout. Bloc Party-esque drums throw the song forward and James seems to have learned to tame his voice to allow the music to come through from the background, but still unleash a good blast of vocals when needed.
Maybe guilty of a little over production, the track could have been given a bit of an edge with a slightly more live vibe. World on Fire isn’t their strongest song lyrically, but like the music, it fits in with the overall spirit of the track. The trap they need to try and avoid falling into however, is getting too comfortable.
Band progression is a hard thing to do, and like most of the bands material, this song wouldn’t feel out of place in the closing credits of an episode of a teen drama. It’s not a bad thing, it’s just the sort of music that fits well into that sort of genre. If they want to progress, they are going to have to take a chance. What this song does however, it does well and will keep their fans more than happy.
