The Strike – “Eye for an Eye” (video) (premiere)

Need a quick boost for a slow Wednesday morning? Check out the Strike’s “Eye for an Eye”, a block of low-poly funk aimed squarely at the dancefloor. Synth squelches and a bulky bassline prop up lead singer Chris Crabb’s pop-punky belt, horns flourishing in the crevices and steady drums carrying the band through. The bridge drops out everything but simple bass and drums alongside the vocals, as smooth a breakdown as there ever was — and then synth, horns, and guitar add in one by one until the climactic final chorus. If you’ve ever said, “Man, do I wish Maroon 5’s pop was good,” this’ll tickle your fancy.

“‘Eye For an Eye’ marks a turning point for the band. Up to this point we have been known primarily as a live act. Our records to date have essentially been replications of how we play our songs live, and that has served us well,” says Crabb. “With ‘Eye For an Eye’ and the upcoming releases, we approached the records thinking only about serving the songs and allowing them to dictate a lot of the production ideas, even if that meant experimenting with a different sound palette than in past recording.”

Faint of Heart has no release date yet, but it will be released in the coming months in two parts, each with five songs.