Play this Whiskey Circle song more than once in a scenic valley

Overall, “Valley” carries a lot of the weight of the album.

Photo: Courtesy of the artists
The Whiskey Circle
Photo: Courtesy of the artists

T

he Whiskey Circle is the sort of psychedelic indie rock band that makes the perfect music for high-octane, Hollywood action movies. The single “Valley” from their latest project, really taps into this heroic action movie vibe.

With the lines “It’s not always the safest place to lie low. I’ve got to keep in mind all that’s waiting for me in the valley,” there’s a tension built that would be fitting for the scenes leading up to a film’s climax. A blaring guitar melody drives the song with a forceful tenacity that complements the steady beating of the tambourine.

These two sounds form the backbone of the tune, while the flesh of it, consists of a more squealing and distorted guitar overtone, that, with the help of what sounds like an old saloon piano, gives the song it’s fun, and lively feel. One of my favourite parts of this song is the ambiguous reference to “the valley” and “the desert”. Are these symbolic analogies to describe different mental states or periods of our life? Or are they literal references to the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles and the desert outside the city? Being from California themselves, I’d bet my bottom dollar it’s a little bit of both. There’s something special that happens when a group can channel personal experiences like that into a fun and informative story for others to enjoy.

Overall, “Valley” carries a lot of the weight of the album. The other songs of The Whiskey Circle’s latest project: Into the Valley, all have the same cinematic feeling with a tinge of psychedelic western to them, but much like different scenes in a movie, each song has its own emotion to convey. Of these, the bravery I feel when listening to “Valley” is most contagious. It is without a doubt the climax of the album, but only the beginning for this promising new band.


Words by Oliver Manifest


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