Sometimes you want to write about something, but almost don't want to start because you don't want to do a disservice to the topic you may be speaking of. Music has kind of always been like that for myself. Its not an objective subject. Sure, the same could be said about video games and movies, but music isn't made to critique. Its an expression, a form of art dating back since the dawn of time - and reviews always seem to try to put it in some sort of box where it has to be based on some cookie cutter design of the current culture. After reviewing video games and movies for 15 years now, I am going to try to explain my own feelings for my favorite band, and the path that lead me to their new album. Sonic Ranch released June 21st of 2024 and is the new album from Fastball, marking their 9th release to date.
Finding "The Way"
The Way may be one of my favorite songs of all time. Originally released in 1998, I have fond memories of it taking over the airwaves of national radio. I was a kid then, only 11 years old, so my perception of music was pretty vague to say the least. I went into my 20's trying to find a music identity for myself, and went through random pop hits, rock, hip-hop, rhythm and blues, and even nu metal, only to kind of find myself where I am today - stuck in a random mix of it all, with absurd playlists that I have always kept personal. The Way came and went, as did Fastball's follow-up hits, but something that never left was my urge to always crank of the tune when it made an appearance. Years later, I would start buying CDs (way after they were relevant as MP3s took over the market). I snagged a copy of "All the Pain Money Could Buy" to kick-start my music collection all over again, leaning on "old reliable". It was then that I discovered Fastball. Sure, I knew "The Way", but this band was a lot more than that.
I am one of those people that still believe that albums are more than just singles. A lot of bands used to release CDs, and that specific assortment of tracks could tell a story based on their order. They were based on phases of lives, experiences, and it felt right to start from the top and work your way in to get a full understanding of the lyrics and the music itself. You don't really get that in modern music, and it made the benefit of "ownership" special, to say the least. Back on topic, when I first played "All the Pain Money Could Buy', I was right at home with that famed track, but then came "Fire Escape", which would later be another single from the album. I was probably around 17 or so when I had this play through and was completely naive and daft of this band outside of the two Scalzo radio hits (The Way and Out of My Head), so hearing Miles Zuniga's completely different sound was kind of polarizing to my then fragile expectations. Even typing about it makes me cringe as I skipped around to hear more of the familiar Tony tracks, and shelved the album as I started to dive into the other alternative and "emo" rock scene that took over that era. I liked the album, I just was too young to get "it", and didn't have the slightest understanding as to what kind of band Fastball even was. I just knew I liked a couple songs I heard on the radio, and anything that didn't sound like whatever I had in my own expectations wasn't "bad" by any means, but I felt like that "story" I was looking for from the album was not coming together. I would come back, and when I did - things would change dramatically.
You see why I am not proud of my musical history, right? What a dunce I was. Then I started living as an adult. I went through real experiences. Real pain. I lost my mother and father in my twenties, and moved out on my own (kind of late). I got lost. Not in drugs or whatever that a lot of youths would cling to, but instead trying to find happiness, which is something that had always alluded me. When I was a kid, my mother was kind of my world, and my father was the complete opposite. He was cold, mean, and someone I tried to purposely push away. Born in the early 40's, he was someone who would play his baby boomer classics almost every day. In the car. In the house, everywhere. When I say "boomer", I don't mean "oh he just liked old music". No, these were like jukebox classics even back then, and when you are a kid in such a revolutionary time for music like the 90's, its a lot to have to hear The Four Seasons on repeat daily. To contrast this, I found what was then modern music. Stuff he would never approve of. Not like hair bands or metal, but pop music, rap, and so on. I was an MTV kid, through and through - which was awkward for a chubby and anti-social teenager as all the cool kids were playing their Skynyrd and AC/DC while I jammed out to Blink 182, Jimmy Eat World, Green Day, and whatever other acts that fit the time frame.
When I lost my mom, my dad went to live at a community home, and I ended up basically on my own. He would pass five years later, and by then, I found myself randomly replaying some of his old music. Maybe it was nostalgia or that I finally understood what I was listening to, but I knew more modern music was kind of turning me off and I was beginning to enjoy older acts. He didn't like Billy Joel, but I found Billy Joel's library through those channels and kind of fell in love with it. That is for another story, but that lead me to compiling playlists of artists on digital platforms like Spotify, which would have everything from Franki Valli to Elton John, with the always sprinkled in hits of Fastball for good measure. I didn't have a car radio with a CD player until I was 27 due to the old clunkers I was always stuck with, and when I finally got a Mustang, I brought all those CDs to the center console, and would play them randomly as I made my commute around western Arkansas.
Step Into Light
One day, it was time to stick in that once shelved "All the Pain Money Can Buy" again, and I was instantly at ease with that starting familiar favorite. Then came "Fire Escape", and on, and on. I can't tell you what its like to hear something so many times before and not get it, then put it in a decade later and not only know it, but find a new appreciation for it because of those little moments that you now had lived. Miles' tracks were outstanding. Hearing "Which Way to the Top?", I was instantly put back of my own experiences in bars at 3am, trying to talk to other random lost souls as I downed another spirit. "Slow Drag" kind of reminded me of that inner anger you feel, but never have the courage to release. Even if I couldn't relate, it felt like these were important stories that always stuck with me. Tony's were as great as ever as well, as he catered a more optimistic take on life being shit - or at least that's how I took it anyway for that album. I am also a sucker for Tony's melodic tones, which really brings the band full circle. Either way, it was relatable, and authentic feelings. Not just in the lyrics, but in the music itself. I don't know what I was looking for, but that is the moment I truly discovered Fastball. I found "The Harsh Light of Day" and loved it as well, but it was the release of "Step Into Light" that really cemented their importance to my own music preferences, as that album was new at that time and something I could get excited about hearing for the first time. Hell, I probably bought Tony a burger or two for how many times I played "Just Another Dream" a few years ago, as that was my favorite song for a long time.
Fastball became my default music of the past five years or so. I have listened to every track off each record countless times, each of them acting as a form of therapy for life's current offerings. Years ago, I could have cared less about live music on a CD, and I find myself listening to different versions of Fastball tracks to get new variation and understanding of each record. Sure, I bet some of them were written in half an hour and maybe the guys even have some shame in a few that I find to be some of my favorites, but as cheesy as it sounds - they all mean something to me.
Sonic Ranch and Onward
Fast forward a few albums and years later, and Sonic Ranch has just released. This new album of Fastball's was first previewed with a few tracks previewed on 2023's "Smashed Hits" live record, which personally had me hyped due to how outstanding those three songs were already. Well, this isn't a review, but the record is superb from top to bottom. Time will tell where these fall in line with the rest of their discography, but I have some early favorites. "On and On" is an immediate stand-out, with its reflective lyrics and harmonizing melody in play. "Get You Off My Mind" is another highlight from Scalzo, as there is something very real about that kind of heartbreak detailed in the tune and the hook is outstanding. The album ends with a beautiful piano track, adding this record to an impressive discography that most artists would envy. I'm sure I will have a new favorite off this record every week for a while before it goes into the daily shuffle with all of the Fastball songs that I will always keep circling back to, and that's all I really wanted from this release. One of their best amongst the best.
Its funny, in all the excitement I had for this record I would read early reviews and leave a bit disappointed. Not because they were poorly written, but because they are rarely written by fans like myself and others who make up their Patreon and so on. These reviews start and end with "The Way", and I get it, this is that mainstream perception to remind fans of who this band is. But who Fastball are is more than that. These three musicians have never truly went away and have a long career of consistency. When people "review" albums, they get so caught up in sounds and structure. They try to compare everything to current culture and fail to listen to the stories. Sonic Ranch acts as a new narrative for us to listen to, and every single consumer will take away something different - as that is what music is. Its a bit of a disservice to state "Oh well they haven't charted a lot since then" or to attach Fastball to a decade based on one song. The Way is amazing, and I imagine the guys are fine getting the royalties from it, but music is more than the fame behind it. It helps shape your identity as a consumer of who you are. Fastball are good at that. That is what makes them special, and while I wish them mountains of deserved success, I am just thrilled they are still creating music for future generations to enjoy.
From Make Your Mama Proud, to Whatever Gets You On, to Lillian Gish, to How Did I Get Here, to....I could keep going and going. Sonic Ranch is a fantastic album of one of the greatest acts of all time, proving yet again that Fastball has found their own "Way" and continue to propel forward for themselves and their fans, which is a pretty cool thing to do in such a weird time in modern music. Its weird how we all have these little ways we come across something. For me, rediscovering Fastball has gave me an appreciation for not just the group, but for all music in general. This one band from Austin made a hit that lead me to their library of music that assisted in navigating my own pain and feelings into adulthood. Artists are more than just a hit, and those who give Fastball another swing are sure to find a lot of treasures underneath their large collection of music. Thanks for the new tunes, guys...and I get it now.
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