Family Average: 3/7

I’ve Got the POWELL! Ah remember Jock Jams? Hard to miss them there were over five volume of fist pumping sports anthems released. I think the best part is no matter how much people dislike them today nobody can complain because clearly if they were making five of them they must have been selling. I bet they sold like hot cakes! Anyway lets move on to a more palatable musical movement. We are talking soft indie rock here folks. Everyone can breathe a collective sigh of relief that this is not the Jock Jams revival we all dread and fear. No instead this is a single by a very talented fella Joshua Powell. On their latest track we get to find out what could be worse than arrowheads.

Read below to get the main scoop.

Arrowheads Arrowheads Arrowheads ArroOh-Heads. Sorry still coming off the high of seeing Have A Nice Life Last week. This, however, is no post-rock industrial sludge fest. No sir Josh Powell whispers sweet mountain winds into my ears. The track is reminiscent of peak chamber pop music like Here We Go Magic and Morning Benders. The single takes airy to the max. Kind of like sitting on a lazy boy with the feet up as it flies to the bottom of some crazy steep hill in San Francisco. Maybe you get a little lemonade in your eye, but it's all good. It only adds pleasant aromas to the trip.

Excuse my ramblings this song promotes mind wandering. “I would swallow arrowheads or worse”. These are some strong words. I could be totally off base but allow me to put my theory out there. They seem like words you would use to prove how far you would go for someone that you care about. Isn’t that a swell thing to commit to? I sure think so.

It would be safe to say I enjoyed this album a fair bit. It had me feeling all kinds of warm on the inside. Thank you friends.

 4/7

“Arrowheads or Worse” by Josh Powell is unfortunately all of the things I do not like about Indie Rock. I feel bad saying I blanketly do not like a genre so I reserve judgement and listen with an open mind. Following this method I have often been pleasantly surprised. I find a hidden gem of an artist that I continue to enjoy even after the review is done. This was just not one of those incidences for me. The lyrics and vocals just had no energy. We played the track twice and just could not find the hook that would grab me and keep me interested or at least keep me from changing to another song. I am sure they are talented musicians, however their talent is lost on me.

2/7

Okay i was bored from the opening note, the vocals droned on and the music was invisible, sorry to say i did not find anything inspiring or interesting here. In my opinion it was very mundane apathetic music. To be fair I am not familiar with there other songs, i don't believe that you can judge a musical group after hearing only one track, so “Arrowheads” was not for me but I can't imagine that their other music could be “Worse” so i would like to hear more from Mr. Powell, I remain hopeful.    

2/7

Josh Powell’s “Arrowheads or Worse” is a calm, atmospheric song that’s got a catchy hook to it. It’s a combination of soft rock and a wispy, floaty atmospheric piece. Kind of puts me in mind of Coldplay. Everything’s subtle, there’s just enough of each element to be effective yet unobtrusive. The guitar has that beachy twang to it that mixes well with whatever that high noted instrument was, and the tambourines mix in with the beat of the drum. The vocals really accentuate that ethereal vibe. They stay low for the most part, but its a good level. And the higher pitched oooo-wo-oooos provide a nice contrast and match up with the high notes on the guitar (and also got stuck in my head). Kind of puts you in mind of a frosty night on a misty mountain. I dunno maybe cause like wolves and howling and such. I couldn’t really make out much of the lyrics, but I did catch the title drop.

Something you can put on and forget about, or actively listen to. I will admit near the middle my attention started wandering, but at the 2/3 point the music swells up again and I was drawn back in. So yeah it’s solid and it feels nice. It’s nothing revolutionary, but it’s a comfortable song.

4/7