The moment we awake in the morning, we are inundated with music. Every music-sharing service one can imagine exists, in addition to YouTube, and so on. Of course, the traditional FM radio still counts as a way to listen to tunes and, if you want a tangible copy to keep, CDs and even vinyl records are still sold.
The competition to make it into the music business is fiercer than ever with different streams of sound competing for the rapt attention of people’s ears, which are either stuffed with buds, covered with headphones, or being blasted in the car with the windows rolled up. Consequently, most sound, let alone music, becomes a muddled blare, indistinguishable from the next.
Yet, the newly formed band, Transviolet, has seemingly done the impossible by offering a new take on how music can be appreciated, honored, and enjoyed because they speak to our human need to be noticed, to be heard. The four members – Sarah McTaggart, Judah McCarthy, Michael Panek, and Jon Garcia – are on the path to musical enlightenment, having decided to seal the promising destiny of their band in Los Angeles by releasing a sneak-preview of their eponymous album, Transviolet, in the fall of 2015, which will soon be followed by a full-album release this summer.
The songs known so far include “New Bohemia,” “Girls Your Age,” “Bloodstream,” and “Night Vision,” which are available online and were recently played live by Transviolet at a venue called The Satellite in Los Angeles, where the band completed a residency in April.
McTaggart, who leads with her vocals in the foreground, has a voice that is a pleasing mix between Taylor Swift and Lana Del Rey. But, comparisons aside, she is her own unique brand of individual and is as charismatic on stage as she is in the music videos. “New Bohemia,” which is up-tempo and rife with lyrics that signal the band’s arrival into the pop-rock world, features energetic vocals by McTaggart who has a strong presence in noting that they’re “not in it for the fame, we do it for the thrill; gonna light it up, wanna change the world.”
In addition, “Girls Your Age” exemplifies the creativity and versatility of the band, whereby offering a song that almost doubles as an intimate confession about what it means to be a desirable female in the dating market. The words and whispers are palpable, riveting the listener throughout. And though the beat is slower, there are careful touches of melancholy that demands one’s attention.
“Bloodstream” establishes its footing by taking its time before jumping into the heart of the listener with unbridled passion, with McTaggart singing out the chorus, “Take me, I need you in my bloodstream; hold me, break me.” The song feels inspired because it doesn’t hold back; in fact, it’s raw and refreshing in how it gains the trust of the listener.
“Night Vision,” too, is lyrically full of substance, as well as soothing and reassuring. When McTaggart echoes out “I’ll find you in the dark,” we know that, no matter what, the ones we love will be seen through to their wanting souls, beyond any exterior or occlusion, and understood on a fundamentally human level.
Unequivocally, this is how fans of Transviolet feel. They are empowered by the vindication of knowing that there is finally a band that offers emotionally intelligent pop-rock music.
For more information about Transviolet and their music, visit
https://www.facebook.com/Transviolet/
https://twitter.com/transvioletband?lang=en
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/transviolet-ep/id1039872470
