By Greg Maki
With warm weather here and the official start of summer just around the corner, there isn’t a batch of tunes more suitable for this season of good times than “Feel This,” the fourth full-length from Pennsylvania rockers Crobot. In a just world, “Better Times” would be the song of summer 2022, a grooving anthem with a pounding rhythm and some wicked harmonica that perfectly captures how so many of us have been feeling throughout the past two-plus years (“I’ve been outta my mind waiting for better times”).
Building off of 2019’s superb “Motherbrain,” “Feel This” just might be the best representation yet of the Crobot sound, which leans heavily on ‘70s riff rock with a bit of ‘90s grunge sensibilities. But while much of “Motherbrain” had a darker, Soundgarden type of mood, “Feel This” is practically bursting with positive energy and joy. Even a song like “Without Wings,” which has a chugging, almost Black Sabbath-like riff, has a brightness about it, and it’s followed immediately by the shuffling, bouncy “Livin’ on the Streets” that just makes you want to get up and move.
As on “Motherbrain,” vocalist Brandon Yeagley spends more time in his mid-range than his higher register, which is far better for crowd participation—and you’ll definitely want to sing along to these incredibly catchy tunes. “Dance with the Dead” in particular is begging for some call-and-response when the band takes it to the stage. Cranking out the array of groovy, funky riffs, Chris Bishop is an underrated, innovative stud on the guitar, while drummer Dan Ryan and bassist Tim Peugh lay down the huge, infectious rhythms. The latter two shine brightest on “Never Break Me,” a bass-heavy, funkified gem tucked into the record’s latter half.
The album title reads as an invitation, and with one earworm after another, it’s easy to feel what Crobot is throwing down.
Rating: 9/10
Mascot Records – June 3, 2022
LINKS:
Buy “Feel This”
www.crobotband.com
www.facebook.com/crobotband
www.twitter.com/crobotband
www.instagram.com/crobotband
YouTube channel
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