You don’t always have to load a song down with a lot of carnal electric riffing to produce a strong rock n’ roll vibe, and if this were ever true of one single specifically, “Everybody But Myself” by Californians Rad Horror definitely fits the bill. From the understated but physical manner in which they throw the beats in our direction to the subtle volatilities of the harmony in the chorus, Rad Horror aren’t hiding the fact that they grew up on heavy rock music in this release; they’re simply choosing to evolve the sound rather than pay tribute to its history with a retro recreation as so many others have in recent years.
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The lead vocal is always the center of attention in this single, and were it not situated at the heart of the mix between the crunch of the bassline and the fluttering notes emanating off of the guitar, I don’t think it would have felt like the creative linchpin it does on this occasion. Arranging is deciding factor in experimentalism-oriented pop cuts like “Everybody But Myself,” but luckily for us, Rad Horror are more interested in conventional packaging than they are bombastic theatrics when it comes to putting the finishing touch on a track.
This bassline is initially a bit too clandestine for my taste, but by the time we get about 100-120 seconds in, there’s no stopping the swell beneath its tones from becoming one of the more dominant forces in the grander scheme of things. The music video’s lack of bells and whistles makes it all the easier for us to focus on intricacies like these, and given how few singles I’ve listened to in alternative music this fall that have matched these specks, I’m surprised “Everybody But Myself” hasn’t gotten more attention from the press than it already has.
Everything in this song is contributing something to the narrative, and as much as I like the commanding nature of the lyrics, they’re simply not the most powerful element of communique that you’re going to come across when listening to the new Rad Horror studio cut this October. They’re telling us about millennial self-consciousness and a collective crises of identity in a fashion that isn’t tethered to one school of artistic license over another, and for it to make sense as clearly as it does in this instance, one really has to wonder just how long the band spent perfecting “Everybody But Myself” until all of the kinks were out.
Listeners who are unfamiliar with the collective discography of the young up and comers in Rad Horror ought to give “Everybody But Myself” a listen as soon as possible. There aren’t many rock bands in the present pop spectrum – mainstream and indie alike -that have left me feeling really excited about the future of the genre as it’s been put in the hands of an emerging generation, and though these guys still have a ways to go, they’re onto the right idea in this single and its music video without dispute.
Troy Johnston