Introducing: The Outstanding, Anthemic Power Pop of “Holding You Back” by The Shrinking Violets
“Holding You Back,” the first song released by new Minneapolis band The Shrinking Violets, is a track that I could see myself finding a dozen reasons not to like. Too poppy. Too earnest. Do we need more guitar songs? That damn melody is too easy to like…there must be something inherently wrong with it.
But, despite my build-in cynicism, I can’t find a reason not to love the song. It is like the bruising, fuzzy melodies of Jay Retard without the darkness, or a slightly more melodramatic version of the Buzzcocks. Clinging to the punk edge of power-pop, it is an exhilarating song that makes me excited to hear more from this new band. Above you can check out the video for the track, featuring green screens and friends at Memory Lanes, and we’ll keep you up to date when we hear more from this new group that we hope can continue to reach the high bar they’ve placed with their first track.
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