Please bless this beautiful mess.
Secret Band (AKA everyone from Dance Gavin Dance minus Tilian Pearson) have dropped two new songs over the weekend: 'Lightning' and 'Rabbit Hole'.
Secret Band, originally formed as a secret band behind Jonny Craig's back, are signed to Rise Records and will have a new LP out this year. Yet it's been a few years since the band's last batch of material was released, making these two new singles a welcomed return.
'Rabbit Hole' is a slower, heavier, and chuggier take than what most would expect from Jon Mess and Will Swan, but not at all a bad one either. However, 'Lightning' is the real standout of the pair; sounding like a bright and striking flash of chaotic rhythms, Will's riff and lick blitzkriegs, and Jon's messy yet honed rapped screams. Both also make solid steps through different, darker tones (that bass is just filthy) and dynamic territories than what DGD often explore, making this group stick out a little from the many side-projects that these guys are apart of.
Of course, with Jon being the sole vocalist here, that means he takes the full lyrical reigns. So as one can guess, the lyrics behind these songs are insane! Lyrics like "I'm smoking your pee pee and drinking all of your poo poo poo" and "I eat all Asian, still got way fatter/I've out grown hoes and moved onto food platters" in 'Lighting' are not misheard lines. On the contrary, they're actual lyrics. Secret Band is basically an excuse for Jon to send it way too hard with his inane and silly word-play. On the flip side, though, 'Rabbit Hole' is darker and more personal, seeing Jon talk about being an artist, fearing poverty, past memories, drug use and more; "it all felt like a nap, i woke up in the past/I'm confused, but my memories, i remember being in them."
It's also a space where he can try out some slightly different techniques and pitches than what he'd normally offer in DGD in order to compliment Tilian's voice. That includes him even sliding in a small clean vocal part on 'Rabbit Hole' too. Check out both new Secret Band tunes below.
