“James Dean” is the latest single from Satellite Train, lifted from their album The Melbourne Sessions Multiverse Experience. It was created with the blessing of the James Dean family, and it’s got that rebellious, cinematic energy you’d hope for from a track named after the icon.
The production on this track has a bright, energetic sound. The drums are driving and propulsive, propelling the song forward with a restless energy that suits the entire James Dean aesthetic well. There’s a guitar solo in here that I’d call tasteful, not overdone or showy, just hitting the right notes at the right time. It has a cinematic rock feel without being overly polished.
Lyrically, it’s pretty straightforward. The song is about wanting to embody that James Dean spirit, the rebellion, and the cool factor. Nothing too deep here, but honestly, it doesn’t need to be. Sometimes a song just needs to capture a feeling, and this one does that effectively.
What makes this release interesting is the whole Multiverse Experience concept. Satellite Train recorded alternate versions of their songs for different platforms. So the version on Apple Music is different from the one on Spotify, like you’re hearing the band from parallel universes. With Dolby-enabled headphones, those differences come into focus through shifts in space and tone. It’s an interesting experiment in how music can exist differently depending on where you’re listening.
Satellite Train is made up of musicians from Icehouse, The Black Sorrows, Paul Kelly’s camp, and AC/DC. They write fast and record even faster, often keeping the first or second take with all the grit and imperfection intact. “James Dean” shows they’re willing to take risks and try something new with how music gets experienced.
