On their new single “Running Song,” the Ontario-based rock group The Soviet Influence have unfurled what feels like a subtly anthemic soundtrack to overcoming the often upending, chaotic vagaries of everyday life. The song hinges on an immersive rock texture defined by agile instrumentation that feels cacophonous at first but eventually proves unified around a core of gently propulsive energy. The band use a lot of heavy groove, but they also never devolve into chaos, instead sticking to — as the song title suggests — a soundtrack for “running,” in the sense of escaping interests that may seek to cause harm.
There’s a definite anxiety inherent in that kind of experience, but there’s also the freeing sense of the wind on your face as whatever you happen to be escaping fades further into the background. Both the anxiety and the freedom occupy prominent parts of “Running Song.”
The punching groove that outlines the anxiety segments will stick with you. Gritty melodicism sits front and center here like also occupies the leading segment of some of the most emotionally ensnaring post-punk. Here, there’s plenty of texture — the blasts of riffing and jagged percussion hits unite for really poignant energy that feels like it really delivers a memorably all-encompassing sonic experience.
And there’s definitely an air of hopefulness in the song, delivered via the consistent energy of the melodies, even amidst the sometimes rapid dynamic shifts and other elements establishing the tension at hand.
5/5 Stars
Check out the song below! The Soviet Influence have a number of other singles available on Bandcamp and elsewhere.
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