A showstopping blend of 80s folk rock and an uber-modern rock ballad, ‘Souvenirs’ is the gorgeous new single by Rooftop Screamers, and it is shaping up to be one of the best releases of the genre in the latter half of 2024.
Portland, Oregon-based Rooftop Screamers is the studio project of musician and songwriter Mike Collins, and there is no wonder ‘Souvenirs’ ended up sounding as blindingly gorgeous as it does, knowing the illustrious ensemble of musicians that contributed to it. Featuring Randy McStine, guitarist and vocalist known for his work with British prog rock extraordinaires Porcupine Tree, as well as the talented hands of producer Mike Plati who has worked with such legends as Bowie, Prince, and The Cure, it is not strange that ‘Souvenirs’ sounds the arena-shaker that it is.
With Collins’s songwriting at the helm, the song features the captivating, descending 12-string acoustic guitar line that provokes the spirit of a certain Jimmy Page, a line that soon explodes smoothly into the song’s dramatic and flamboyant chorus, with its lush pads, minimal bass and drum groove that pushes the song forward with a steady backbone, and an unforgettable vocal melody. ‘Souvenirs’ blends its 2 distinct faces with such elegance and effortlessness that makes it a masterful piece of arrangement to top the fantastically written song underneath.
‘Souvenirs’ is a fitting tribute to Collins’s late grandmother, and as gargantuan, graceful, and curious as this cut is, it is a wonderful tribute. Restrained, yet massive, calculated, yet explosive, the lovingly played guitars, organs, bass, and drums are all a testament to Rooftop Screamers’s amazing song-building and arrangement skills.
