Hammering us from both channels like a storm about to take control of the stereo, the pummeling riffs of “Down Not Out,” the new single from Greye, are violent but constricted by a forceful bassline that practically suffocates the percussive elements in the track, but southern rockers who dig a guitar-centric riff-rocker can still count on this single for a handful of sonic thrills.
There are a lot of overly complicated components to this latest release from the underground crew, but one thing that is spot-on from the jump in “Down Not Out” is the layering of the guitar parts, which stands out as some of the better mixing I’ve heard from this band overall. Though this is not the same lineup I’ve heard in previous outings, this single tells us a lot about the stylistic direction that Greye is taking their sound in, and more than anything else, it proves that they’re more committed to making instrumentally swaggering music than they are soft, friendly pop music.
The video for “Down Not Out” is engaging and not as pomp-riddled as most of the other band-focused videos I’ve watched recently have been. The visuals unfold like a concert, and the play is undeniably captivating and subtly darker than it initially would seem. I found it quite easy to get lost in the visuals of the video and completely abandon the music in the background on a few occasions of viewing it in preparation for this review, not necessarily because it’s that much better than the song by itself, but more because of how unexpectedly sharp and invigorating it becomes as we get closer to the finish line.
It isn’t very often that I say this about a simpler music video, but “Down Not Out” is a visual piece that adds even more to its narrative than I would have anticipated. Whether that’s what they were going for or not doesn’t matter; I think if more viewers were to check out this document before exploring the band’s complete body of work, they’d probably appreciate Greye’s artistry a little more.
I just started getting into Greye this year, and I think that although there are a couple of retro rock elements with the single, they sound consistent and in tune with each other as a group in “Down Not Out.” The video is instantly memorable for me and perfectly timed for what rockers are all about right now, and while it doesn’t reinvent the wheel concerning conceptualism, it’s an inspired work just the same.
Greye has some more growing up to do before they’ll be ready for the big leagues, but if they can develop more material with the same chilling tone as this song contains, they’re going to find a lot more success as they pursue greater fortune in the future. What this piece feels like is a blueprint for the new lineup, and one that I’m very confident they’re going to utilize a lot better than any of their rivals could in 2023.
Heather Savage
