Smokey Brights conclude their album, "Dashboard Heat," with a potent last single, "Reaction." Honoring the band's indie rock roots, the song strikes a perfect balance between openness and resilience, with a sweeping anthem that brims with self-doubt and love before giving way to the courage it takes to believe in oneself.
Led by Kim West's aching vocals, the weighty "Reaction" weaves lyrics that pulsate with sincerity. Her delivery is gentle yet powerful, and you can feel both the openness and strength behind each line. Backed by drumming from Nick Krivchenia that rages forward with biting force, the song is a searing scorch of emotion in sound. "Reaction" relates to anyone who may have ever wrestled with doubt but intuited certainty via the power of self-belief.
Combined with Smokey Brights' signature mix of indie narrative and pop hooks that are difficult to shake, the song is at once cathartic and anthemic, a call to arms delivered in melody. The closing song provides a space for reflection on that image, and as part of Dashboard Heat, an album themed around cars, childhood, light, loss, and longing, "Reaction" feels the most intimate. Recorded by Andy D. Park for a painting by Ryan Devlin, the album embodies creative determination, and "Reaction" is its resplendent crown jewel. It not only makes you hear the song but also gives an emotional intake and release that lingers.
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