Album Review: Ginger Evil - The Way It Burns

There are certain sounds that echo in our heads, that remind us of feelings we had that may be long dead and buried. Time brings with it changes, and sometimes the distance that now exists between us and the artists we listen to masks the memories of how important those times were. As people drift away, we tend to downplay the importance of those memories to save ourselves the constant reminders of what is now lost to us. Metaphor gives us the rose-colored glasses that makes pieces of the past look better than the used to, but there is also a smoky grey lens that keeps us from wanting to look into the rear-view mirror.

When I think about the way pop music and I have drifted apart, there are a few touchstone artists who convince me pop music was not always a poison to me. Among those, one of my favorite strings of hit songs belongs to Pink. There was something about the tone of her voice as she sang tracks like "Sober" and "Just Like A Pill" that unlocked bits of myself that would later be shut off from the world. That infatuation would not persist as the nature of pop music changed, but Pink's voice would always have that same appeal to me. She is one of those few special voices to me.

That is what makes Ginger Evil so interesting to me. As the record played for the first time, the overwhelming thought I had was the unmistakable similarity between Ella Tepponen's voice and that of Pink. And as the record shifted from its harder rocking start to a softer ending, there were moments that felt almost exactly like those days of yore.

"The Way It Burns" is one of those albums that gets better as it unfolds, where the second half is the more interesting one. The classic rock riffs that open the record are a fine canvas, but it's the ballads and acoustic guitars that give Ginger Evil even more strength. As the mix clears out, the talents of each member are given more room to shine. The shimmering guitar tones, the melodic playing, and yes, the excellent vocal performance. Ginger Evil settles into a space where they are balancing on the edge between classic rock and what I consider the heyday of pop.

"Arrowhead" is the first stunning track on the record, a sparse ballad that puts all the attention on Ella's voice. Not every singer can shine when given so much of the spotlight, but she does so with aplomb. It's the kind of performance that made me take notice, and single-handedly puts this group on the list of bands to watch, because few can match that moment of clarity. You have to appreciate those times when they comes, because you don't know the next time you'll hear one.

Ginger Evil says that the song is everything, and as a songwriter myself I appreciate that sentiment. Too often, you hear bands who are trying to fit their songs into a pre-conceived idea of what they are supposed to sound like. They are the bands who are trying to make songs heavy for the sake of being heavy, who up the volume when we need to hear more dynamics. Ginger Evil clearly rock, but they let the songs dictate where the production goes. The guitars move from light to heavy as needed, which gives the record an ebb and flow that makes it a more thrilling ride.

Closing with the chiming ballad "Wake Me", Ginger Evil saves the best for last. The song is four minutes of nostalgia for an era of pop music I didn't always realize meant as much to me as it did. While maybe the band won't appreciate how much I am focusing on this comparison, "Wake Me" could fit into a compilation of Pink's greatest hits without missing a beat. I mean that as the most sincere of compliments. That song is so damn good.

Perhaps it's fitting that the album comes out on Valentine's Day, because in what has been a slow start to this year, Ginger Evil has made this grinch's heart grow a few sizes.