Roadcase
Royale - Get Loud
The
stylishness and deceptive simplicity of Roadcase Royale’s first single, “Get
Loud”, is a by-product of the principals involved and their considerable
talents. The experience that guitarist Nancy Wilson of Heart and vocalist Liv
Warfield bring to the table is also a critical factor in its success – with a
top flight band accompanying them, this savvy musician and singer are able to
steer this song to its fullest potential. Wilson and Warfield are accompanied
by Heart’s veteran members Chris Joyner (keyboards), Dan Rothchild (bass), and
drummer Ben Smith. Warfield brings her musical director and lead guitarist Ryan
Waters into the fold for good measure and the six members of Roadcase Royale
enjoy an immediate chemistry that goes far past Wilson’s familiarity with many
of the members. Instead, this lineup and first single seem to be the results of
an inspired masterstroke – rarely do musicians with such sympathetic interplay
establish chemistry so quickly, but the majority of Heart and Warfield’s
contribution mesh together quite nicely.
Liv
Warfield’s tenure with Prince and her long critically acclaimed career as an
R&B singer doesn’t mean she sounds out of place on a track with decided
rock leanings. Instead, she rises to whatever challenge this poses and gives
over everything she’s got to making this performance work. The phrasing she
employs is quite impressive – few lines move her in the exact same way and this
variation in her approach makes this a lively vocal experience from the first.
She shows fantastic timing as well – Warfield knows exactly when to come in,
when to bow out, and the technical artistry she demonstrates throughout the
track is, likewise, accompanied by tremendous passion. She reaches the peak of
her performance during the song’s fine chorus.
The
music matches her passion and artistry. Experienced musicians like these know
that what you play isn’t nearly as important as what you don’t play – to that
end, “Get Loud” benefits from the right amount of space in its arrangement and
orchestrates a comfortable weave of energy. The guitar work sparks the song
further. Waters never overdoes his position as lead guitarist and the addition
of acoustic guitar is a strong touch that adds much to the song. It’s the
perfect musical environment for the song’s lyrics to flourish. The arrangement pushes the inspired lyrical
message with just the right level of brightness, the right tempo, and the
musicians fix in on what each other is doing while remaining fluid and steady
all the while. The rhythm section of Rothchild and Smith deserve particular
note for the seemingly effortless swing they strike during the verses that
really gives Warfield a hook to hang her killer vocals on. From the first
seconds to the last, “Get Loud” is a winner. Some musicians just distinguish
everything they touch. Nancy Wilson’s long and decorated career with Heart has
proven her a consistent bet for great new material and she’s surrounded herself
with a bevy of similarly talented musicians in Roadcase Royale.
Dale
Butcher
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