You know what sucks about life? Getting older. It drives a wedge between us and the people we grew up around. It teaches us that life is even harder than it seemed long ago. None of us want to grow up, but that’s a necessary stage in life. New Zealand-based alternative band Voodoo Bloo does a great job at exploring the topic of getting older in their latest single, ‘Small.’
‘Small’ by Voodoo Bloo hits the sound of a punky alternative rock track that makes use of nostalgic production perfectly. This track does a great job at pulling out the dark and powerful tone within the vocals, and the vague bit of rasp adds a ton of emotion to the overall piece. The drums work with a quick succinctness, and the use of stereo sound throws you into a musicscape, surrounded by the sound. The bass and guitar both have tight hits in their playing, which meshes them perfectly into the percussive punchiness that this track has. There’s something so energetic and introspective about ‘Small,’ and it uses nostalgic sounds to make an original sounding single.
Lyrically, vocalist Rory McDonald says that ‘Small’ is about “the Peter Pan complex, knowing you have to grow up no matter how hard the change may be.” He wrote this song to his younger self and his mother, both of whom had to come to grips with the fact that he would in fact grow older. This is something that can be relatable to all of us, as we all grow into different people from who we are as children. As we come to the grips with growing older, it can set a rift between us and our parents. This is because they also have their own expectations of how we may grow older.
Voodoo Bloo is a New Zealand-based alternative rock band consisting of lead vocalist and guitarist Rory McDonald, guitarist Daniel Maslen, bassist Oli Cass, and drummer Jackson Kidd. This new band lineup also garners the help from producers Greg Haver, who has worked with My Bloody Valentine, and Scott Seabright, who has been a part of producing for Mumford & Sons. These producers put in the work to create a production sound that has that softness of nostalgic production and delivers all the hits it needs to pull you in. ‘Small’ is well-produced, written and recorded, and it roots itself in the bands’ signature sound perfectly. This is a track that you should definitely have your eye on.
Written by Sage Plapp
