Maybe in the next life, we’ll get it right, sings the lead singer for Forest Ray in the song “Honesty”. The band, a throwback-sounding rock outfit that almost sounds more like My Morning Jacket or even The Byrds than “The Seattle Sound” , is the type of song that transcends time and space. “Honesty” is a bit raw, with rusty guitar grips and a bass line that moseyed its way to the listener’s soul. And, like Forest Ray music video’s before, the visual depiction is strangely hypnotic.
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Enlightening as it may sound, that line maybe in the next life, we’ll get it right, in this song can easily mean a broken relationship; a divorce that was going to end badly, but came out amicably. I think the songwriting motives of Forest Ray are more about mellow, freedom of expression than harboring toxic feelings. The song just doesn’t have the darkness of hate or anger. Rather, the whaling of the guitar is more about the emotional wreckage, but getting through the cobwebs and hurt. While the band started out as just a duo in San Luis Obispo, California, the band grew to be based in Seattle, Washington. Today the band is Peter Sumic, Eric Junge, Sebastian Brown Glad, Brennan Moring, Brendan McGovern and Simon Olander. Sumic is the lead singer and has in the past noted his Croatian roots for many of the lyrics and inspirations. “Honesty” is from the album, Black Pine. Like all Forest Ray albums, Black Pine is available on vinyl and was recorded using analog. It joins previous releases, Musical Witchcraft (2016), Laughing (2018) and Faded Reflection (2019).
“Honesty” has the listener seeping in garage-rock and psychedelic guitar riffs. The percussion, unlike more modern rock tracks, is a bit more subdued and second fiddle to the bass guitar. There are hints of harmonica and the steel guitar gives it an almost country rock outer layer. At its core, though, “Honesty” is the type of rock song that feels intimate, but at any point could become the next all-out jam.
The music video reminded me of the almost marsupial lighting and shaggy carpet of Fiona Apple’s “Criminal”. Only “Honesty” is blushed in reds and oranges. The band filmed the video at Seattle’s Wong’s Kitchen and Bar. The location is a whole other character in this surreal story. The bar’s inhabitants seem to be oblivious to the band, but after a few drinks, the shenanigans erupt and the confusion starts. Just like the guitar riffs, the sonic blast can cause in-balance, backwards and forwards. The video is directed by Brian Glinski and is edited by Conor O’Keefe. Forest Ray’s colleagues from Seattle bands Control Test, Smoker Dad, VIIY, Myrrum and Wrestler act as the bar participants and band.
“Honesty” is a wild ride and great one at that. What I enjoyed most, in case you couldn’t tell, is the guitar work and the loftiness it provided. A bit of a trip, “Honesty” proves Seattle musicians are still churning out some of the best rock music on the planet.
Jodi Marxbury