Bill Neely is back at it again, and this time heโs got something to say. With โResistance,โ the first punchy single off the upcoming album Pith & Vinegar, Neelyโs newest sonic experiment as Headlong Retreat is roaring with defiance. If the title didnโt clue you in, the track is a full-on, boots-to-the-ground protest anthem wrapped in crunchy riffs and righteous indignation. From the first fuzz-drenched guitar riff, โResistanceโ immediately kicks open the door and demands your attention. The groove is classic protest rock with a twistโgritty but melodic, catchy yet grounded. The drums march. And Neelyโs voice is thick, earthy, and just raspy enough to sound like heโs been shouting at the news for a decade. It guides us through a rally cry for the disillusioned and the defiant.
โShow up / speak up / take a stand,โ he sings, while the backing vocals chant like a chorus of comrades in the trenches. Itโs protest music that doesnโt just talkโit calls you to act.
And then thereโs that album art: the shattered face of what looks like Lady Liberty, cracked and crumbling. Itโs not subtle, but itโs not supposed to be. It screams what the lyrics preachโsomethingโs broken, and itโs time to push back.
With Pith & Vinegar set to drop soon, โResistanceโ is a sharp, searing appetizer that proves Headlong Retreat is a band charging straight into the chaos, middle finger raised, and guitar in hand.
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Review by: Naomi Joan