By Dave Resto
Hey, fans of old-school, guitar-driven, heavy blues/rock. Turn up your sound systems and brace for impact. Michigan-based Greta Van Fleet have unleashed a four-song salvo on their 2017 EP, Black Smoke Rising (on Republic Records, produced by Al Sutton and Marlon Young) and are touring nationally to support it. Now is a perfect time to hear and see what these young guns are all about.
On the surface, Greta Van Fleet are most obviously comparable with Led Zeppelin; however, it’s fair to point out that any artists who are deeply steeped in the teachings of blues-based, hard rock bands of the sixties and seventies are usually faced with initial comparisons to the likes of Led Zep, Jimi Hendrix and countless others of that era. Not a bad thing, in and of itself. The important thing is to use that as a jumping off point to establishing a unique identity. On Black Smoke Rising, Greta Van Fleet do just that. The four-piece band, comprised of vocalist, Josh Kiszka; guitarist, Jake Kiszka; bassist, Sam Kiszka and drummer, Danny Wagner, excel at delivering crushing riffs, which are deftly counter-pointed by beautiful melodies, set in well-crafted arrangements.
Track one, “Highway Tune” gets right in your face, starting with a far-away sounding, dirty guitar riff that sets the band up to come crashing in with some refreshing, sonic fury. Josh Kiszka’s vocals are indeed reminiscent of Robert Plant, and his gift for moving between full-throated mayhem and controlled melody are impressive. The drums pound out a formidable ‘two and four beat’, as the bass pumps steadily beneath frenetic guitar work that is simultaneously funky, bluesy and rocking. This song grabs the ear and doesn’t let loose straight through to the finish, leaving you with that exhilarated, “where the hell did these guys come from?” kind of feeling.
“Safari Song,” featuring another great guitar-riff intro, slows the tempo to a moderate, sloshy groove but there’s plenty of momentum carrying it along. Again, to say that Josh Kiszka moves comfortably between both the lower and higher vocal registers, which were pioneered by Robert Plant, is stated as a compliment; it seems he pretty much opens his mouth and it just comes out. I’d call that a gift. Bassist, Sam Kiszka lays down a tasteful, inventive bass line which speaks to his self-proclaimed jazz influence. The mid-song break-down, executed simply and effectively, is a perfect muscle-car-with-the-top-down-playing-the-music-loud moment, before the rolling crack of the snare drum resets the momentum and guides the piece home.
“Flower Power” is a fine example of this young band’s maturity as songwriters. Jake Kiszka forgoes the electric guitar, opting instead for an acoustic guitar and mandolin intro, while brother, Sam, lays down a busy but engaging bass line. Respect for dynamics has much to do with this song’s success and the extended church organ outro is stunningly beautiful.
“Black Smoke Rising,” the title track, closes the EP and it is by far the most well-crafted bit of song-writing. Electric guitar, bass and drums are locked into a moderate-tempo groove which gently rises and falls as Josh Kiszka delivers his finest vocal performance, especially during the choruses. The breakdown here is airy and spacious, before a pause gives way to a final round of the chorus, which proves easy to give into and sing along with.
As of this writing, it appears that Black Smoke Rising is the first of three EPs that will be released by Greta Van Fleet; they will equal one album upon completion. If that’s the case, then we should be in for a lot more great music from this hugely talented and promising band. Until then, we can get out and see them perform at club-sized venues nation-wide. I know I will.
I welcome your comments.
Black Smoke Rising can be found:
Website: http://gretavanfleet.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gretavanfleet/
Spotify: https://play.spotify.com/album/23lA1QsNgeWOsMy0OlFRWC?play=true&utm_source=open.spotify.com&utm_medium=open
Apple/iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/artist/greta-van-fleet/id646178956
Great review,glad I posted them to you guy’s
Thanks for posting GVF to RBM, Marcus. Seems you and I brought the idea to Martine around the same time; great minds? Again, thanks so much for supporting us!
I saw these guys in DC this past Saturday. I caught ‘Highway Tune’ on Sirius one night and was like, “Wow, is this a lost Zeppelin track? It’s really good. Yup, I like this.” Very impressed with the 4-song EP. Don’t worry that those are the only songs they have though, because they rocked it steadily for over an hour-and-a-half, with only one cover song-an electric, soul-stirring version of Howling Wolf’s “Evil.” These guys are young, but they are very impressive and I look forward to seeing them again. Side note: Real nice guys too. I spoke to the guitarist Jacob, and told him I had grown up in Michigan, our shared home state, so we talked about Frankenmuth a bit, where they are from. I wish them continued success.