Small Town Life - Common Grey (2021)
By Flork (contact)
Quite often, I am completely amazed about what is hidden in parts of the world unknown to those who come from North America (and Europe too). Small Town Life is a garage rock/punk band from the small and nondescript town of Šaľa in southwestern Slovakia, an inconspicuous place on the river Váh where very little goes on, while its residents preferring to keep it that way. I was there once, in fact, and can’t say that I had a memorable experience or anything to write home about, but I do remember the fried cheese and Kofola I ate on the main pedestrian strip was quite tasty. Small town Slovakia at its best, where time passes slowly. But don’t get me wrong, I am not dissing the place, in fact, I quite liked the nicely-painted houses and zateplované panelaky, a sleepy little town to chill and live a peaceful and happy life. I could live in Šaľa.
But the Florkster has found another reason to like Šaľa. Small Town Life is a trio of rockers who write great, original tunes that are all sung in English and would please any audience of any age. The sound is reminiscent of 90s grunge, the tunes being catchy, even though descriptions of their debut album describe Common Grey as a shift to darker territories, at least sound-wise when compared to their debut EP. In fact, it’s very similar to the 90s album Legal Drug by Gladiator, although I’m sure the band members would argue with me on this point. Just sayin’.
Still, I can’t make any comparison to this album and the EP, since I haven’t actually listened to the EP yet, but I wouldn’t describe Common Grey as dark or depressing at all. In fact, all the tracks are lively and full of heavy bar chords and short guitar solos. Take Out of Lights, for example, one of the longer tracks on the list. This song isn’t totally upbeat, but does have a positive energy around it. Likewise, You Said, another song that sounds great with a great slowed-down tempo. Whether it was intentional to be played at a slower pace or not, I really don’t know, but I could see this track really grabbing attention if it were sped up a gear or two. In fact, several of the tracks could use an infusion of caffeine, but again, I don’t want to get into any arguments with the band. Maybe they just like their coffee with one sugar instead of two. I did mention they come from Šaľa.
One thing that is important to note is that these guys do have a solid hold on their instruments and vocals. They’ve played gigs all over Slovakia and the Czech Republic and have the potential to go very far with the current album beyond their current borders. The title track Common Grey is extremely good, as is Your Way, which combines a great riff on the higher notes of the guitar and the singer’s raw vocals. He really is a good singer and I can imagine this group rocking out on stage.
All in all, I give the trio from Šaľa high marks. The album is a great listen, there’s no denying that, but I can see these guys making a bigger impact on their audiences in their live shows. Production and mixing are top-notch, and there is potential for these guys to grow. Some of the tracks do tend to sound alike, so there is still room for them to write outside of the box and make each track unique from the others. But for a debut album, Common Grey is still an amazing effort in translating their sound into the studio.
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