Suicide Medicine,
Rocky VotolatoWe're so up-to-date here at Punktastic than we're only at least 18 months late in reviewing this record. Ho hum. But when a record is as good as this, no matter how late we are giving our thoughts, it's imperative we give them. Rocky Votolato is a real talent and 'Suicide Medicine' is a really, really great record. It's wrought with emotion, full of extremely clever songwriting and features a man that will surely go on to forge a highly successful career for himself. Rocky is probably best known for his work in Seattle band Waxwing, but opted to go down the solo route after his brother went full-time in a band called The Blood Brothers. You may have heard of them...
The result is 'Suicide Medicine'; a record that is warm, tender and emotional. Notice I said 'emotional' and not 'emo' - let's not tarnish Mr Rocky with any kind of fad or fashionable trend. And I'm no lazy journo either - forget the comparisons to Dashboard Confessional because the only similarities are men playing acoustic guitars. Try listening to 'The Light and The Sound' and make a comparison to Dashboard that doesn't sound cringeworthy. I have read nods towards The New Amsterdams and Ryan Adams, and while I'd prefer not to throw Mr Votolato at any genre (because I believe his music doesn't need to be lumped together with anyone else), those in need of a reference point may want to take a closer look at this. I personally think there's a touch of Rod Stewart in his voice, although it's not a comparison I have come across anywhere else.
'Suicide Medicine' is a hook-laden, yet lyrically downtroden, record that enthrals and captivates in equal measure. There are catchy choruses and potential singalongs, but throughout there's a sense of desperation and sadness that juxtaposes some of the more 'pop' parts. It's his storytelling that maybe sets him apart from his peers - and in one review I read whilst listening to this gained him comparisons to Bob Dylan. There's an attention to detail in the lyrics that makes them read like a page from a novel - 'I'll Catch You' and 'Montana' are threadbare tracks running high on emotions. “I’ve got hate running through my veins and my blood runs like the venom of a poisonous snake," he sings on one track, while on another he yelps “‘I love you’ spills like vomit from her lips”. Maybe not the best examples for the A-Level English students amongst you to debate and decipher, but further proof that 'Suicide Medicine' is not your average record. If this is the standard, Rocky could follow in his famous movie star's footsteps and become a heavyweight household name...
www.rockyvotolato.com
Sorepoint
Paul
