Headlinez
Veteran Pittsburgh rocker John Vento’s latest single, “Rainbows and Lightning” gives you the unbridled joy and electricity of a new relationship in a classic back-beat driven, slickly-produced package. The song describes the search for true love, looking and observing “pictures of frames” and the maelstrom of emotions that finding someone who could be “the one” evokes: amazement, euphoria, and wonder at finding some who feels so right. The song enhances its lyrical content with several nostalgic musical nods, echoing the 12-string era of the Beatles in a more “rainbow” sound, with an upbeat, almost gleefully danceable beat.
The last third of the song brings us into the full storm, and the “lightning.” The song shifts to a darker, more aggressive style with a psychedelic guitar solo reminiscent of The Doors, and vocals searing with pain and fear: pain left over from past failures, and fear of not being good enough to deserve the “angel looking into my eyes.” But perhaps like the Tower of the tarot deck, this part of the song signifies the destruction of the parts of yourself that are holding you back from true happiness. The power of John Vento’s song is the clever way he weaves disparate musical styles together to create a unified song that creates a whole emotional world.
This review was written by Michael Ouyang. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.
