John Ralston and his music are true poetry. His words are what holds the music and makes you go, "I never thought of that." "White Spiders," sounds like a more subdued version of the Shins. His voice sounds like it belongs in the '60s or '70s, but he has managed to let his voice evolve into a modern hybrid. Listening to the music over and over brings out the instrumentation more. It's chill out music for sure, and Dada is offering the perfect opportunity to relax on Friday when he performs with Grey and Orange.
We last heard from Ralston when he released his holiday-themed single in December, "A Marigny Christmas." After listening to some songs at his MySpace page, hearing classics "White Spiders" and "Gone Gone Gone" really got me excited for the show.
The
imagery in these songs is powerful. It's like
watching the music unfold in a series of theater sets being wheeled
through a forest. Each of them has a different rich color assigned to it.
Something mixing fantasy and reality. The imagery is like recalling a dream.
There's a line in "Gone Gone Gone" that goes "I wanna touch you, I wanna
breathe you, say fuck you I don't need you." Both ironic and
sweet against what sounds like strings in the background, this song is a favorite right from the
chorus because it had such a simplicity that's raw and
honest.
Grey & Orange is a
nice balance to Ralston. With their guitar riffs and Southern Florida
style, they have a power-pop rock feel to their music. Grey and Orange
have some videos on YouTube.
John Ralston. With Grey and Orange. 11 p.m. Friday, January 14 at Dada, 52 N. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach. No cover; PBR specials. Click here.
