Rhett May’s musical career spans decades, right back to the seventies when his band Lucifer supported legendary rock band, Queen.
But that’s just one of the many highlights of this artist’s illustrious career. Indian born and raised in Australia, Rhett May’s experience as a songwriter, guitarist, vocalist and performer puts him ahead of the pack, a true indie rock trailblazer. His latest release Cocktails And Cannabis is a thought-provoking, idiosyncratic piece of contemporary alternative rock that blends an indie aesthetic with modern rhythmic and sonic elements.
Kicking off with a hip-hop flavoured groove, the track explodes into a diorama of superlative guitar and tasteful melodic flourishes. But the real hook arrives early. ‘Cocktails and cannabis, they take me to another place,’ the opening line, previews just what this new track is all about: amalgamating masterful guitar playing, a playful, intriguing lyric and infectious, engaging melodies over a bed of contemporary sensibilities.
Utilising the melodic strength of the chorus hook to start the song works well, with the verses that follow helping to create a great balance. The verses are melodically sparse, though just as hypnotic as the chorus, with interesting ambient textures infused to tasteful guitar lines throughout. Another chorus and verse cycle follows leading into an interesting chord pattern change, where the evocative guitar is highlighted once more. This change brings us to the bridge, which provides a slight shift in mood and sentiment but is still in keeping with the tenor of the track. The chorus outs are a persuasive way to end the record, reinforcing yet again the efficacy of the main hook.
One aspect of the track that’s difficult to ignore is the lyric; engaging in its use of imagery and audacious for its use of metaphor, let alone its sheer tongue-in-cheek nature.
Cocktails And Cannabis is one to watch out for, a genre-twisting track that covers a lot of ground and is sure to get added to a slew of streaming and radio playlists.
LISTEN TO RHETT MAY HERE:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6ZPtpQ7xR594mmAo6rLck5?si=FvLgnULiTAK8v966UK2bOw