Drawing us in with a psychedelic, astral melody and intricate percussion, Unca John opens How the Hell? with intrigue and dimensionality. The opus expands with a vibrant, descending electric guitar riff before the artist shares the introspective lyrics, “I thought I’d still have lots of time to sing my song, to rhyme my rhymes, I thought that the sun would always shine, how the hell did it get so dark outside…”
We immediately connect with the dimensional and authentic nature of the composition, and the luscious power-pop adjacent harmonies that Unca John shares with depth and retro chord transitions.
The piece demonstrates poetic prowess with its prose, and an intentional approach to songwriting, which delivers catharsis and empowerment for both artist and listener, as well as a timeless energy that we cannot get enough of .
Unca John, who is also an economics professor from Baltimore cites The Beatles, The Who, The Rolling Stones, REM, Nirvana and Pavement as some of his influences, although it is clear that the creators is manifest a path of his own.
He adds, “These are the bands that formed my musical sensibility, so naturally my sound tends towards retro. Nevertheless, I am inspired by the recent resurgence of great rock songwriting by Car Seat Headrest, Alvvays, Brittany Howard, Mitski, Big Thief, Snail Mail. Soccer Mommy and many others.”
We appreciate the hands on approach to song generation that Unca John showcases, performing drums and piano as well as vocals on the track, and we have added How the Hell? to our New Music Spotlight playlist, whilst we anticipate future releases from the star.