Brock Pytel is best recognized as the famed drummer/vocalist of Montreal’s late 80s pop-punk veterans The Doughboys. But after a reunion show in 2011, he had a session at Montreal’s Hotel2tango with Howard Billerman and came up with a few solo songs of his own.
This January, Pytel released his latest solo single entitled “Anemic Heart”. The single is a follow-up to the one he released in 2022 called “Hurrah Hooray” and it was mastered by Ronan Chris Murphy (Gwar, King Crimson).
From a musical standpoint, the verses are rhythmic and percussive but maintain that darkness and melancholy with it that will remind you a bit of The Rolling Stones. The chorus, on the other hand, has a more uplifting and grungy feeling to it. I really love how this song felt like a bridge between the late 60s/early 70s and the 90s rock scenes.
The drums were hard-hitting, the basslines were very likable, and the vocals were deep and powerful. The guitars and their tone are what gives the song its melancholic colors, and the production overall felt world-class and amazingly crafted.
This song has me anticipating future releases from Brock, which I’m sure will be just as (if not even more) awesome as this.
