Kerry Pastine and the Crime Scene aren’t remaking the songwriting wheel with their new single “City of Love”. The title song from their third album together, however, claims well-traveled territory as their own and refurbishes it in a signature fashion. Pastine has a voice capable of transforming any material she touches; for her, the question is never can she bring something unique to a performance but, rather, how much should she bring. She has the skillset to dominate anything she involves herself with. The Crime Scene, with her husband and guitar Paul Shellooe at the fore, are more than able to keep up with Pastine, however, and deliver a taut muscular performance to complement her vocal excellence. Pastine’s name may head this project but there’s never any question listening to this track that they perform as a band. This isn’t her show alone.
She will wow all but the most cynical and jaded of listeners however. Pastine’s voice has an immediate presence that you can’t turn away from – there’s emotion, attitude, raw sensuality, and an obvious love for performing running through every line of “City of Love”. The song’s video reflects this visually for listeners. Pastine, even in scenes when the band isn’t on stage, puts off an air of unmitigated happiness to be hearing music, working with the band, surrounded by creativity. It’s certainly audible throughout every second of “City of Love”. Though the song and her vocal are obviously the latest entry in a long stylistic tradition dating back multiple decades, Pastine sings and the band performs with a freshness suggesting they are the first band to broach this musical territory rather than carrying the torch further onward.
Paul Shellooe’s guitar contributions to the track are crucial, but the rhythm section of bass playing Troy Robey and drummer Andrew Knight provide the song with its beating heart. They keep their playing on point and uncluttered proving, once again, that a song doesn’t need 20,000 notes and wild virtuosic runs to impress listeners. They show, like Pastine, a thorough understanding of the style that marks them as students of the genre, but they never treat the form in an overly respectful way. Simply put, they are here to serve the song and do a magnificent job. Shellooe, for his part, concentrates more on the same attributes as the rhythm section rather than playing up his skill on the instrument and deserves kudos for doing so.
BANDCAMP: https://thecrimescene.bandcamp.com/
“City of Love” brings listeners into the musical world of Kerry Pastine and the Crime Scene’s third release with memorable results. This isn’t a band who needs lengthy guitar solos or six minute running times to make their mark on listeners. Pastine isn’t a singer who needs vocal pyrotechnics galore to connect with her audience. Instead, “City of Love” is full of heart from first note to last. It’s practically impossible for anyone, in my opinion, to hear this song and turn away indifferent when it concludes. It gets under your skin from the first hearing and lingers long after it’s over.
Troy Johnston