Craving Strange: “Careful of the Landmines” – gritty and wholehearted
Craving Strange churns out the kind of arena-filling choruses that cast as much sneer as they do heart-throbbing power. They also represent rock to fist-pumping fans who just want to unwind after a hard day’s work. In other words very little pretense and plenty of ass kicking riffs and rhythms. There’s a lot of scope and potential on the EP “Careful of the Landmines”, and the band dive in teeth audibly bared. The opening title track builds from an eerie intro to a rampaging beast full of playful accelerations in a matter of seconds. It’s a great song, with more than just hints of chunky riffs, with Jimmy G hymning the creative spark that bounces from sea to shore as he pleads: “Why can’t I change.”
It seems Craving Strange can do no wrong on this recording. Every move, whether planned or not, seems to be the right one. They are one of the most eclectic underground rock bands around today. One that continues to pummel modern, and classic rock expectations with a gritty and wholehearted honest approach to music. Craving Strange is firing flares from the land of untarnished rock ‘n roll which nobody thinks exists anymore.
“My Enemies Look Just Like My Friends” favors tender melodics together with Craving Strange’s, relentless aggression, and in the end this renders it one of the best songs on EP. “Like A Wave” is another track that’s hook-heavy, and coincidentally radio friendly.
It boasts an energetic chorus that’s enhanced by a full-scale arsenal of up-climbing guitar riffs matched by a cleverly placed addition of banging drums and a soaring vocal accompaniment.
“Careful of the Landmines” has a well-utilized balance of forcefully assertive songs as well as hook-heavy arena rockers, as the EP impresses in multiple instances. The band manages to work in clever hooks along with plundering rock ‘n roll kindling and an appeal with the potential to race across the sonic highways of American, mainstream rock. With this recording Craving Strange simply asserts their presence as one of the few outstanding underground rock acts.
The immediacy of the recording sessions and the driving guitar ballast on songs like “Dissolve” and “Nothing But A Chance” speaks to the band’s ability to dole out the hard-rock goods in a satisfyingly enthusiastic fashion, thanks to Jimmy G (Vocals/Guitar), Frank Guertin (Lead Guitar), Jimi Tassone (Drums) and Chris Monte (Bass).
What makes this EP special is that every single song is filled with passion, energy and hooks. That’s not to say that this is an EP filled with silly little pop-ditties – it’s made with blaring electric guitars – a driving bass – and hard drumming – it’s solid rock music. It’s just padded with melody too!
These days it seems there are fewer and fewer bands putting out traditional rock music for many reasons. Craving Strange stick to their guns and resist the urge for any type of fad or novelty and for that alone they are to be commended. This sounds like rock music used to sound.
There, seriously, is no bad song on the EP. Just when everyone keeps saying rock is dead, Craving Strange show us that it’s alive, punching, kicking and biting.
Craving Strange has worked with Rob Jacobs (Weezer, the Eagles), John Moyer (Disturbed), and have performed with bands like Flogging Molly, Puddle of Mudd, Patent Pending, Queensryche, and Brand New. They have also played hundreds of shows, released albums, EPs, singles and videos, toured much of the US, released a song in Mandarin, toured China, played SXSW, and have multiple song placements on radio and TV.
