Thursday, May 11, 2023

The Chelsea Curve - "How Can I (Resist You)?"


Releasing its first new music since its amazing album All the Things came out in March of last year, Boston trio The Chelsea Curve has wowed me yet again with "How Can I (Resist You)?" — its brand-new single on Red On Red Records. Could it be possible that the band that released my #1 single of 2021 and my #5 album of 2022 is actually getting better? "How Can I (Resist You)?" brings more of everything I love about The Chelsea Curve and then some. As always, this trio manages to avoid tying itself down to any one musical genre even as it hovers in the vicinity of nearly every genre I love. 

"How Can I (Resist You)?" is a quintessential punchy pop song that rocks hard and sinks its hooks into you from the get-go. Songwriter Linda Pardee characterizes it as "a song of longing and desire, of pining from afar, of an obsessive love." This is classic subject matter for a rock and roll song, but Pardee really ups the intrigue by making the object of all this desire a total mystery. We'll likely never know who (or perhaps what) this song is about, and that makes it all the more exciting! Listen to the song, read the lyrics, and draw your own interpretations. Musically, The Chelsea Curve has never sounded better. The band (Pardee on bass, Tim Gillis on guitar, Ron Belanger on drums) is a well-oiled machine as a result of relentless gigging. The guitars and drums are loud and crisp, and Pardee's lead vocal will give you chills. Together, the music and vocals intensify in the most satisfying way as the song rushes to a thrilling finish. Pardee acknowledges an '80s influence on the song's melodies, but ultimately "How Can I (Resist You)?" just sounds like The Chelsea Curve. If you loved the band's early singles and All the Things, you will not be disappointed with the direction of this new single. I can happily report that more new music is forthcoming later this year. For now, "How Can I (Resist You)?" makes me a happy fan of The Chelsea Curve. What can I say? I'm obsessed!

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