Yet another momentous album to come out of 2017, Greta Van Fleet’s “From the Fires” proves that rock is far from dead. The band’s second EP, released on Nov. 10, 2017, is full of driving blues-rock that is raw yet somehow mature, sure to be a hit with the current alternative crowd as well as classic rock hardliners.
Out of Frankenmuth, Michigan, Greta Van Fleet was started by brothers Josh, Jake, and Sam Kiszka. With Josh singing lead vocals, Jake on guitar, and Sam taking care of bass guitar as well as keys, they signed friend Danny Wagner to play drums and began creating music. In an interview with Rolling Stone, the Kiszka brothers cite being raised on blues artists such as Willie Dixon and Howlin’ Wolf as musical influences. Their eight-track EP sheds light on these blues roots and classic rock influences, yet brings forth plenty of new sound that is sure to please.
“Safari Song” starts the EP off at breakneck speed, abundant with guitar riffs and vocals that prove to the listener that Greta Van Fleet is for real. The wailing voice of Josh Kiszka, melodic and near operatic yet powerful and hearty, belies influences such as Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant or Geddy Lee of Rush. On deck is “Edge of Darkness,” a solid four-beat rock tune that carries the momentum of the first track deeper into the album. The beat slows with “Flower Power,” but does not lose any intensity or heart.
The band next puts their own twist on a staple of soul, Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come.” Amidst the sea of organ and backing vocals, the echoes of the time period in which the original was written as well as the memory of Cooke’s untimely end ring loud in the ears of the listener and help apply the lyrics to today’s sociopolitical climate. Following this emotional cover is “Highway Tune,” perhaps the group’s best known single. Driven by a fast, feel-good lead guitar and speedy delivery of howled lyrics, “Highway Tune” once again betrays heavy Zeppelin inspiration and definitely deserves the intensive radio time it received throughout the year.
“Meet On the Ledge” is a swaying ballad that slows the EP down ever so slightly. This track exposes the only point within the music where the album seems to lose a step. “Meet On the Ledge” still shares the same dense musicality with the rest of the EP, but following up “Highway Tune” puts this sixth track at somewhat of a disadvantage. Soon enough, the break is over, and “Talk On the Streets” resets the pace. Quite a hybrid, “Talk On the Streets” pairs the typical Zeppelin-esque vocal delivery with speedy guitar in the style of current alt rockers such as The Killers or The Strokes. The EP ends with “Black Smoke Rising,” a very grand finale that exposes the full musical talent of Greta Van Fleet, solidifying them as more than Led Zeppelin impersonators and delivering a truly unique and current rock tune.
The future of rock belongs largely to Greta Van Fleet. The Chicago Tribune calls them “big, heavy, and for real,” iTunes labels them as “urgent, retro, and impressively precise,” and Rolling Stone says that the band “is robust proof that classic rock still lives.” With heaps of young talent and spectacular musical execution, their EP “From The Fires” reveals that Greta Van Fleet owns a large share of the rock scene’s future.
