The Result of Participation Trophies: Synth Rock Grunge band, Sometimes Chad!

If “this is the result of all those participation trophies” as grunge synth rock band, Sometimes Chad, claims, then keep them coming! Based out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Sometimes Chad is a duo made up of Rex (guitar / vocals) and Ben (drums / synth), and have played venues all across Florida, including Poor House, Open Stage Club, and Las Rosas.

The band released their single, “Semblance,” on July fifth. The track serves not only as a stand-alone piece, but the lead song of their 5-song EP, How Do You Sleep?, which is to be released August 16th, 2019.

“Semblance” begins with haunting instrumentals, their echo quickly replaced by clear vocals backed by simple guitar rhythms. The vocals and instrumentals share a fairly equal amount of the credit in this track, with small sections of vocals placed between longer instrumental sections. These longer parts often give the synthesizer time to work in the forefront, infusing the guitar lines with a little something extra. Overall, the audio components of “Semblance” are impressive, but they don’t hold a candle to the song’s meaning.

“A little over a year ago, [Rex’s] sister passed away.” Despite the fact that he didn’t know her too well when she was alive, he now shares a strong connection to their shared story: “After she died my mom would tell me stories about how when I was a baby, and I’d cry in the middle of the night, my sister would go into my room and take care of me and put me back to sleep in her room. I have a young son, and the thought of how much she must have loved me, to be 8 years old and taking care of a crying baby in the middle of the night, and to think that I hardly knew her, really makes me ache like hell for what few memories I do have of us together.”

“Semblance” is “a song about wanting so bad to go back in time and experience a relationship I had to hear about years later when it was too late,” which makes the lyrics an especially important component of the track. An honest, heartfelt examination of their relationship is obvious in the lyrics, but they could also be relatable to listeners going through their own struggles: “Blame it on yourself / Fault is not your own / You’re searching for a semblance of a place you used to know.”

The wide range of emotions in Rex’s vocals and the group’s instrumentals is proof that music is an amazing outlet, and musicians deserve even more than a participation trophy for being brave enough to share their stories and connect with listeners through sound.

Participate on social media with Sometimes Chad:

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Website

***Like the majority of my reviews, a submission fee was charged for this post.***