Wednesday, July 5, 2023

Johnny Cattini and the nostalgic universe building of "Cut The Cords"

American Robb 10:56:00 AM "Cut The Cords", alt pop, alt rock, boston, indie rock, Johnny Cattini, Nashville, new music 2023, psychedelic rock, singer songwriter

"round up all the boys and girls (it's a revolution for the free world)..."

"Cut The Cords" by the inventive Boston singer-songwriter / guitarist Johnny Cattini sounds like a song that might of been written after viewing all 7.8 hours of Peter Jackson's "The Beatles: Get Back" documentary series all at once. As it runs through it's paces I feel nuances from different songs or periods but that being said, there are no straight copycatting going on and I feel veiled nods to other groups but all in all the song feels like a lovely created universe, an emotional surreal sonic discography, splinters in time and space glued together forming a lovely music box.

Sometimes I find it easy to dismiss types of revival rock noir sounds and I had that inclination here too until it pulled on me, until I listened multiple times and felt thoroughly sucked in. I appreciate that "Cut The Cords" is not constructed like a song at all but more like distinct sections of a movie stitched together.

Johnny shares this about the track:

[Half of me would love to throw my phone in the ocean while the other half accepts this technology is necessary to function in the modern world. Cut the cords is about the frustration I’ve had with myself and social media. Conversations I’ve had over the past couple of years made me realize my friends were also feeling unfilled in the same way. This song is about what would happen if we collectively departed from the virtual world and embraced the real world with more attention. Ultimately, this song made me realize the answer for me was finding a better balance - to be aware of when my phone was corrupting my sense of reality but also see the positives of communicating with people I love and that's what I wanted this song to capture.]

"Embracing the real world with more attention", what a novel idea. We've turned into a society that doesn't talk to one another anymore, we just type at each other. How fucking weird.

-Robb Donker Curtius