Crash Scene is a psych-grunge trio from Detroit, Michigan. As is the story with so many bands this year, their output has been affected by the pandemic. On the one hand, they’ve only played one show together, a week before lockdown. So, they still consider themselves a “new band.” But the lockdown provided them a unique opportunity to record some music, and they came out the other side of it with their debut album Fresh Heat. The debut very much embodies ‘90s alt-rock and grunge, but the band steps outside of those influences with their psychedelic sound.
The opening track “Damon” is a straight-up alt-rock song. You get the first taste of the band’s songwriting style on this one. They are not afraid to jam it out, and these moments usually come at the end of songs. In “Damon,” the ending jam is sleek, as the shredding guitar solos are the cleanest on the album. The track rips and gets the album off to an exciting start. “Wheat Rust” better exemplifies Crash Scene’s psych-grunge sound. The song is dirtier with more of a garage rock sound. The guitars are crunchy, and the chord progressions more off-putting. The guitar solo at the end of this cut is phenomenal. It’s abrasiveness and invigorating, and you won’t be able to listen without bobbing your head. Besides having an evocative title, the closer “Warm White Wine” evokes a classic ‘90s grunge sound. The guitars are harsh and accent the song’s dynamic shifts. Moments where the bass and drums drop out, electric guitar riffs take their place and drive the music forward. I like that Crash Scene chooses to abandon their usual routine of ending on a big guitar solo, as they sing “go through the motions” near the song’s end. That’s precisely what Crash Scene doesn’t want to do, instead highlighting all aspects of the band equally. It’s a quality closing track. Crash Scene’s Fresh Heat is exactly that: fresh heat. The group knows their sound well and is not afraid to rip it when they want to. Being inspired by the likes of Pavement and Nirvana, the band pays homage to these groups while simultaneously mixing in their own sound. The result is Crash Scene’s crisp psych-grunge sound that will have listeners entranced with a bobbing head and a scowl that can only mean one thing: it’s fire.
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