ON and On

I like it when bass players step out from the shadows and have a more invested part in the music. For example, on their eponymous album, the three-piece power trio ON feature the bass front and center. The album rocks with fantastic bass lines augmenting the equally talented electric guitar and whatever pedals he used to get the sound we hear. And we most certainly need to give due credit to the percussionist; he holds everything together, right?

ON is made up of Lucy Di Santo (vocals, bass), Dan Cornelius (drums) and Steve Fall (guitars) – carrying on the legacy of their former 90’s band – the Sire Records-signed Acid Test – with members also having been in other popular Toronto bands Danko Jones and Deliuss.

I have been listening to their new album over and over. I even listened to it at 2:00 this morning because I couldn’t sleep. It didn’t change that status. Their music compels me to listen and seek out subtle nuances on each listen. And the bass of Lucy Di Santo is a huge part of my attraction to the music of ON.

I give a big shout-out to the band for gracing me with the lyrics; much appreciated, I enjoy following along with the cheat sheet.

The album blasts out of the starting blocks with the song Break You. “‘Break You’ soars like a goodbye love letter to a toxic person, place or substance; it’s a decree of emancipation – and breaking away from what dictates and captures the human soul. It is an outcry, a battle cry, and finally a freedom cry of intention – all wrapped up in a hardcore punk-metal riff that end with Sabbath-esque overtones,” says Lucy Di Santo.

I am head over heels in love with the closing of the song and the way Lucy Di Santo works the bass. Good stuff.

Ironically the second song, Underdog, comes out off the blocks with the lyrics:

“On your markers, countdown started

Get set – get right on it.” We have a running/racing theme channelled through some driving and pounding rock and roll/punk/indie.

Written in Toronto and New York, ON guitarist Steve Fall, says the ‘ON‘ album is “a document of friendship navigating explores in pain, and hope. Looking at the world with a collaborative effort to document what we see, witness and feel through songwriting and chemistry as a band.” Following pre-production recording with Drew Howard at Star Sound Studios in Cape Coral, the band worked with sound engineer Darius Szczepaniak (Sum 41, Black Crowes, Big Sugar, Bare Naked Ladies, Jann Arden) out of Phase One Studios.

The third song is Gator, asking us, “How does it feel to be out of the gate?” It feels great. We are now officially out of the gate.

Next up, we have a darker feel in the song Blackmail and an excellent bass opening that soon gets blown away with a classic rock riff. A lyric sample, “No more lies, disguises, gaslighting. I won’t take no more.”

Here After starts with a nostalgic look at last night and hearing a record player spin that song. A nod to Jim Croce’s Time In A Bottle and then the music brings our focus to the Here After and admonishes us not to look back. Here After has a more laid-back feel than the previous tracks, but it is still grooving with that record player.

Next up, we have the track FLA which has The Raconteurs sound from their 2007-2009 era, Broken Boy Soldiers. I compliment them; they are a tight group, and having FLA sound slightly like Steady As She Goes is OK. I used to play Steady As She Goes, and trust me; ON is way better than I ever was. The other members of the band I played in were quite good.

When you’ve had enough of the west coast L.A. scene, it’s time for a road trip through New England, West Virginia, Georgia, Ohio, and then into Jacksonville, FLA. Miami FLA. Daytona FLA. Take me down to FLA. It sounds like a road trip that our family took, 16,000km and into Titusville, FLA.

Soul Killer takes the band back to their punk-punching raw sound, which I think they are very good at, but they do something different on this track. While Soul Killer opens with grinding guitar distortion, Lucy Di Santo sings in a more melodic voice. This creates tension between the edgy guitar, the cutting lyrics and her singing. It works; this is a great song.

I disagree with only needing one guitar. Here is the t-shirt that I coincidentally am wearing today. I have seven as of today, but I only play one at a time and I don’t practice enough.

There are other things in life I will be content with just one of, like the love of my life, my wife. And I think that is the message of the song. He is a selfish jerk that is more interested in having more guitars when he doesn’t even appreciate the one he has—good music with great lyrics.

More blistering guitar work from Steve Fall usher in the song Take a Shot, which clocks in at just under three minutes of scorching hot music. I love it.

The album closes with two songs, Try and Amends.

The ethos of Try is, “I can’t feel anymore; you say try, try once more

I can’t hear anymore – you say try, try, try…

Try… just try..”

Never give up is what I get. Keep trying. It will be challenging, but keep trying. Try, just try.

And in the song Amends, we get to the end of the album and at the end of the song, we have “New found – life purpose – recovery.” Sweet, I have 33+ years of recovery, and that last line resonated with me. Newfound life. A life with a purpose. A life of recovery.

I am in recovery, and some people try to slow me down and rob me of it.

I am in recovery, and downtown may not be the safest place for me—too many ways to get run down.

Try, try to keep going.

Keep it going even when you haven’t found what you are looking for. Try, and keep trying.

Stabbed in the gut and nearly knocked down. Nearly. I emphasize the word nearly. If I keep trying, I will stay on my feet and not get knocked down. Nearly, but not down.

Try, keep trying.

New found-life purpose-recovery.

Thank you, Lucy Di Santo, Dan Cornelius and Steve Fall, for giving us this message of hope. Thank you for surrounding that message with great music that amplifies the lyrics.

The full ‘ON’ album is out now and available everywhere online, including Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp.

It can also be ordered from: https://indiestructablerecords.com. Bandcamp https://onband1.bandcamp.com/album/on

Spotify https://open.spotify.com/album/5JKgLFwheMImbaLMP4p69K Blackmail“https://youtu.be/aMs3Osl0ouk

Underdog