What the grunge movement of the mid-90s started is very hard to overstate. As we fast approach 30 years since the onset of this movement, we still feel what they created reverberating through a lot of music that’s getting released today.
The hArt of Sound is the moniker of Colin Hart, an alternative music artist and content creator who’s based in Concord, New Hampshire. His latest offering, a song titled Soul Shaker is menacing, dark, groovy, and edgy, and in his own words, almost grungy, a statement which I would correct to ‘very grungy’. Soul Shaker is based around a memorable and brooding bass riff with a meaty tone that effortlessly drives the song forward, coupled with a solid and soulful vocal performance from Hart, and the result is a driving groove with a very distinct character. Colin Hart’s vocals sound authentic, a pure sensation. His highs, falsettos, iconic creaks, and dark lows all sound controlled and heartfelt, allowing me to view Colin as one really capable singer. His songwriting is not too shabby either, Soul Shaker is full to the brim with rocking guitar riffs, and inventive guitar tones that give each song section its distinct feel, from the tremolo pounding power chords of the chorus, on top of a squealing background guitar, to the Morello inspired, noisy solo, the guitar work on Soul Shaker is fine-tuned and is compelling, and the production, tight and crisp, is there to put everything together.
For lovers of grunge, the fact that it still lives on through the passionate work of people like Colin Hart should be celebrated and enjoyed. Soul Shaker is a song with a grungy heart, but it thankfully reaches beyond this threshold, and becomes its very own distinct thing, courtesy of original guitar work, fantastic production, and an unforgettable vocal delivery.
