Stomping, groovy, witty, and juicy, Plastic Harpoons’s last single is a fantastic time. Fantastically produced, sounds wholesome, tightly written, and lovingly performed, ‘Better Than Dying’ is immense fun.
Plastic Harpoons are a Santa Barbara rock four-piece whose sound comes loaded with fresh-faced realism, a ton of vocal charisma, and a larger-than-life guitar goodness. Made up of Taylor Casey’s voice, and Daniel Vasquez’s wonderfully colorful lead guitars, with Sean Renken and Bijan Firouzan’s bone-solid rhythm section, on the bass and drums, respectively.
‘Better Than Dying’ is a piece of alternative rock that talks about the disappointment we feel when life gives us exactly what we wanted, only for it to feel lackluster, failing to make us feel like we expected. The witty, borderline-optimistic words are delivered in Casey’s distinctive, nasal yelps that prove to be wonderfully engaging. The chemistry between the trebly vocals and Vasquez’s Les Paul’s thick leads -creamy, overdriven, and rich with the instrument’s immediately recognizable juicy mid ranges is fascinating, and the stomping rhythm line created by Renken and Firouzan is a perfect backbone for this chemistry.
Filled with instrumental nuance, littering synths, guitar doodling, and an easy-to-follow structure that’s engaging enough, ‘Better Than Dying’ is a gorgeous display of a readily skilled band who have long since found their voice and chemistry. An immediate stunner.
