Wizwars - Gameboy Rock!! EP from Handheld Heroes
Thanks to California based Wizwars I have now heard of plucky young upstart netlabel Handheld Heroes, A label which celebrates their fourth release with Wizwars' own new EP Gameboy Rock!! (or grab the direct Archive.org download).
The album is five tracks of catchy upbeat chip-rock anthems. Kicking off with the title track Gameboy Rock!! we power on and dive right into things with an in your face wall of, well, of Gameboy rock of course. The song hits hard and gets things off to a great start with it's lively rhythms and puts you in the perfect mood for the rest of the album. The EP keeps up this upbeat rock pace, which sometimes frenetic and sometimes a bit slow, but remains strong through out the meat of the album. Like many a rock album though, Wizwars holds the most somber song for last, this is also my favorites.
Right Back To You starts off with a soft piece, but a quick pause and we get some upbeat drum sounds to fill the void with some more energy. The lead instrument seems to tell a serious but heartfelt story for passers by to listen to. With the climax to the story coming in at about a minute and forty seconds. From the sound of the music though it seems to have a happy resolve. As the instruments fade out and we approach the end it feels like perhaps the listeners have learned a lesson from the story, and perhaps the storyteller, in retelling it has as well.