Why give up on a tried and true system if it works? In the music industry, that tried and true system is to premiere a single ahead of an album release. The only problem there is that almost everybody does it, so many single songs that deserve to be heard go quietly away.
Hopefully, that will not happen to the Americana-tinged Chicago quartet The Empty Pockets, their latest single “Youth Vaping,” off their upcoming album Outside Spectrum.
The reasons are quite simple there. The Empty Pockets, led by the married couple Erika Brett (vocals) and Josh Solomon (guitars) do not just have excellent musical chops, but try to make their lyrics as meaningful and as engaged as possible, covering themes from income equality to women’s rights and the LGBTQIA community.
Working out of a recording studio they built themselves, the band comes up with an almost perfect introduction to their upcoming album with this engaging piece on a theme that is currently possible on a back burner, but shouldn’t be.
They present their thoughts on the subject and quite a few other things through a cool, tight mid-tempo Americana number that musically represents an excellent foil for the lyrics, accentuating, without overpowering them.
If this is the sign of what is coming up on Outside Spectrum, it will be a worthwhile wait.
