Hungry Henchmen – “Save Us” – running between the heyday of pop-punk and the urgency of hip-hop!
Hungry Henchmen have an admirable approach in striving to produce a form of alt-rock that appeals to music fans of all genres, from punk to indie to pop, and hip-hop. Audiences will be moved by their sharp wordplay and striding beat, on their latest single, “Save Us”. The duo, consisting of D3zz and Tyler Reese have collaborated for many years across multiple genres, prior to the inception of Hungry Henchmen with their previous collaborations gaining over 300,000 streams in total.
Clearly the duo are at their best when exercising their wit in songs like “Save Us”, applying an interesting and realistic twist, to the narrative of modern music-making. It’s song that fuses the attitude of hip-hop with ear-pleasing melodies, and an upbeat groove, to good effect.
“You think that my music sounds too different. That I’m hooked onto a digital prescription. It’s because I’ve been making beats instead of playing in a band. I don’t think you understand the logistics. I still play most of the instruments you hear, and I compose every sound coming to your ears. And I use all the tools that everybody does. Don’t really need it. I just seize it, just because they think they need to change us. They think they need to change us. They think they need to save us,” recites the opening melodic verse.
The lyrics smartly lay the Hungry Henchmen’s thoughts out, openly on the table, as they throw down the gauntlet to all naysayers. And by the time the rapped bars roll out, it becomes even clearer that the stand-out talent for creative rhyming will set them up nicely in the crossover music world, especially when combined with the pure pop hooks and the crunchy, driven guitars.
A handful of well-equipped artists have already shown in the past that there is a place for the influence of rap and hip-hop in alt-rock, and Hungry Henchmen could sit comfortably by their sides.
Fitting perfectly under the biting guitar motif is a thumping bass line and drum that fits with the like pieces in a puzzle. The elastic melodic and rapping flow, pulls you in and forces you to listen. Indeed, the tones and tricks used across “Save Us”, are so recognizably from the catchy crossover alt-rock and rap playbook that it will get stuck in many a listener’s head.
Anyone involved in writing this song, is a talented lyricist who knows how to craft excellent earworms that make their point. In fact, above all else, the songwriting is given a real opportunity to shine here…and it practically ends up glowing all throughout.
“Save Us” is the audio equivalent of an adrenaline shot. It’s a refreshing reminder of the powerhouse that a song like this can be, when you get it right. And get it right, is exactly what Hungry Henchmen do. The soundscape plays off the grit of the guitars, while the melodic vocals contrasts the edgy rapping. All of which acts as a time machine, running between the heyday of pop-punk and the urgency of hip-hop. It’s topical. It’s raw. It’s real.
