Hannah Summer’s scintillating vocal presence is enough to sell Greye as one of rock’s keepers of the flame. However, her cohorts ably back her with the balance between old-school fundamentals and a fresh, contemporary sound. Evidence of this abounds on the band’s seventh full-length album entitled VII, and there is plenty of proof of progress on this collection. Their songwriting has not stood pat or relied on formula. The Florida-based quartet does use consistent ingredients to produce such a tasty blend. They are eternal verities such as passion, conviction, and skill rather than assorted flavors of the week. Instead of disposable, the eleven tracks included on VII smack of the eternal.
It does not mean they are disconnected from the here and now. Immediacy is one of the album’s glaring strengths. “Hold My Own” kicks off VII by telling listeners that, if nothing else, you cannot challenge Hannah Summer’s spirit. It is an album about many things, but one of the collection’s main themes is endurance. Summer emerges from many of these tracks scarred and beaten, but resolutely unbowed. Greye gives her a memorable soundtrack for such tales, and this song matches her fierce passion every step of the way.
“Famous Last Words” further ratchets up the intensity. She goes for a more guttural vocal style during this song, but it is close to its predecessor. One aspect of these songs that should get more play from critics is the fine lyrical skill in evidence during each of VII’s eleven tracks.It isn’t laden with inaccessible pseudo-poetic flourishes but, instead, speaks about human experiences and emotions with intelligence and conversational sharpness.
Greye spikes “Losing My Mind” with a laser-hot slide guitar part that complements the song’s hard-rock riffing. The rhythm section is critical to the band holding things together throughout the album and shines brightly during this performance. Summer excels yet again with vocals that take risk after risk as she pushes her voice close to the breaking point. Many will pick this track among the album’s best.
I believe one of the album’s high points is the blistering “777”. It has a varied musical attack that once again highlights the superb drumming powering Greye’s engine room. Summer rips through this lyric like a woman possessed, and her percussive style of singing pairs well with the song’s musical mix of riffing alternating with stripped-down passages. “Spiders on a Page” shifts gears without taking VII outside its wheelhouse. The softer moments of this collection reveal Summer’s far-reaching ability to vary her delivery, and the lyrics easily contend for some of the album’s finest writing.
The album’s duet with Jason Michael Carroll, “Hurricane”, shifts gears even further. Carroll and Summer achieve a stunning vocal blend during crucial moments of the track, and the country vibe prevalent throughout the song doesn’t clash too much with VII’s dominant rock character. There is a lot to offer listeners over the course of these eleven songs, and Greye unstintingly delivers each one with conviction and a strong sense of identity. It’s a winner.
Heather Savage
