It’s been a little while since we heard from Air Ralley! The ‘happy pop punk’ band have been relatively quiet since the release of their EP Oh, How Your Mind Wanders in 2016. But the band are back, in the form of new single “Fighting For”.
Air Ralley are Kevin Campbell (guitar and vocals), Matthew Fox (guitar), Eden Joel (bass), and Rocco Bisagno (drums).
“Fighting For” seems to have a definite addition of polish and smoothness to Air Ralley’s sound with regards to its production. Sparkling effects and an easy pace come in contrast to vocals that feel heavy in despondency. In this song of outward questioning about life and connections, the “is it worth the effort?” fog doesn’t want to budge. The noisiness of the bridge expresses a desire to be on the other side of the stagnation and is the only glimmer of potential change here.
“Fighting For”‘s ‘what’s next?’ question marked self isn’t necessarily excited to look to the future because of having historically collected a lot of disappointment. It’s a stagnation, where the energy and oomph required to head toward something better are daunting -before even starting.
Despite the bogged down subject matter, this is a catchy and peppy song and its lightness sweeps the listener into it. It’s like an enjoyable anthem for the chronically tired who want something more. Have a listen and see what you think!