‘Collide’ is an effortless winner of the working musician’s infamous skank-face. You know… that face musicians make to other musicians that could be counted among the highest gestures of praise musicians can receive? A musician listening to Canning’s ‘Collide’ will be pulling one of those throughout the listen.
It is often said that three is all you need to be loud enough. In Canning’s situation, it is indeed there they need to be loud enough, and to be tight enough. A three-piece from Chicago, Canning’s Ricky Canning, Fritz Armstrong, and Tom Miller have collided on their latest single and given us a collection of some of the most nuanced rhythm sections, the most inventive riffs, and the juiciest guitar and bass tones in our recent memory.
‘Collide’ is often in 4/4. But not always. Sometimes it is not. I forgot to count because most of the time I was busy aurally gawking at the tones the guitar and bass are making, thick, gritty, and visceral. That is not to mention the riffs that are being played, or just how massive the sound of the mix is. ‘Collide’ is an insanely creative piece of alternative rock that gives more goodness in its 2:22 runtime than songs more than double the duration, and it is worth noting that it does so without ever feeling undecided, jittery, or intrusive. And that might be the song’s biggest achievement.
The trio have been playing together since their high school years, and the experience shows up as an extremely enjoyable synergy between the three. ‘Collide’ is a worthy addition to any musician’s playlist. As for non-musicians, listen to ‘Collide’ and it might give you that push you never knew you needed to sign up for guitar lessons. Bass guitar of course.
