As someone who doesn’t keep up with Xdinary Heroes’ schedules, it seems like the band are making comebacks with incredible regularity. That may be more of a sense than a fact, but they’ve quickly developed a hearty catalog of music that sees them exploring various aspects of the rock genre. New single Beautiful Life embraces multiple sides of that spectrum, mixing pummeling energy with more dramatic turns.
Listening to the first few moments of Beautiful Life won’t give you the full picture at all. The track kicks off fully-charged. You may be ready to jump right into the mosh pit. However, about a third of the way through, the track morphs into something else. Big, Queen-like refrains take over as the instrumental slows to a more anthemic style. This becomes even more distinct as we reach Beautiful Life‘s climax and the arrangement takes on an almost baroque quality. I’d love to hear Xdinary Heroes go full-on Bohemian Rhapsody, but the inspiration here feels more 2006-era My Chemical Romance.
As far as touchstones go, that’s not a bad one. I admire Beautiful Life‘s ambition, even if I’m not sure the song gets there in the end. It’s a fascinating take on idol rock, attempting to deliver more than most of these songs even conceive. For that, I salute Xdinary Heroes. Beautiful Life needs much stronger melodies to bolster the pomp surrounding them, as its ambition often get the better of it. However, I hope the band continues down this road and develops their own rock opera in the future.
Hooks
7
Production
9
Longevity
8
Bias
8
RATING
8