Project Grand Slam’s new single “Fall of Winter” marks an interesting new chapter in the band’s life. Working with co-writer and guest vocalist Jim Peterik hasn’t changed anything about the way the band plays and works at a fundamental level, but it does change their presentation this time out. It doesn’t, however, play like a case of a band meeting its guest halfway or vice versa. It’s a fortuitous collaboration for several reasons but, if there were no other, the seamless way Peterik talents complement the band is key.
The genesis of the song began with an idea bassist, bandleader, and songwriter Robert Miller had for the track. He envisioned it as an anthem of sorts for blue-collar workers and Peterik manages to retain that while also taking the song in additional directions. His vocal imbues the material with the same fervor as the band’s regular vocalist Marilyn Castillo, though it’s tempered by artistry. Peterik makes no attempt to overshadow the musicians and sings along with the band as if he’s always been a member.
Miller’s bass playing often has a prominent role in Project Grand Slam’s songs, but it isn’t as out front for “Fall of Winter”. It doesn’t mean, however, that Miller and drummer Joel E. Mateo provide anything less than a thunderous bottom end for the song. The organ lines added to the song reinforce it without ever drawing undue attention to its presence and the single’s second guest, longtime guitar legend Elliot Roberts, makes important six-string contributions that top the whole thing off nicely.
Peterik’s lyrics for “Fall of Winter” give listeners plenty of evidence for why he’s been an in-demand songwriter for over three decades. The same well-crafted turns from one line into the next and the satisfying connection listeners make with the song’s chorus are two hallmarks of Peterik’s style. You’ll be hard-pressed to find even a single extraneous word in the lyrics and they are obviously crafted to suit the arrangement.
There’s seamlessness surrounding everything about this song. Nothing feels grafted on and one passage flows into the next without any jarring intrusions. It’s reflective of the level of polish that Miller and his cohorts bring to everything they do. Project Grand Slam has long since established themselves as one of the pre-eminent American bands currently working, but they have global reach as well. “Fall of Winter” reveals a new side to their talents, but longtime fans will find nothing here that disappoints.
Newcomers will be impressed by the tight playing, economical songwriting that gets to the point, and boisterous sound that engages listeners from the first note to the last. It’s an action-packed reminder that Project Grand Slam’s rock music chops aren’t too shabby and, when they decide to bring the heat, they can turn up the temperature as high as any other band cooking today. Their latest concoction “Fall of Winter” should please even the most demanding of tastes and it shows Project Grand Slam is creating at as high of a level as ever before.
Jodi Marxbury