What You Gonna Be?
Self-Released, 2025
8/10
A Minneapolis outfit spearheaded by Peter VanDusartz (i.e. Spike), on this debut album the singer and guitarist injects both pop and rock ideas into these 11 diverse tracks.
“Be Here Now Now” starts with Spike’s warm acoustic guitar and expressive singing alongside Alan Goldberg’s mature piano, and “Crazy Blue” follows with John Munson’s spirited electric guitar and Richard Medek’s punchy drums that make for a charming folk-rock presence.
“Believe” lands in the middle, and brings a thicker template to the layered melodies, while “Sing” trims the pace back thanks to Peter VanDusartz IV’s cozy bass amid the harmonic singing.
“Voyageur” and “What You Gonna Be?” exit the listen. The former finds itself in darker territory via the firm acoustic guitar, mesmerizing keys and mysterious vocals, and the latter recruits saxophone courtesy of Max Ray that suits the dense, multi-faceted version of rock which flirts with jazz.
A record with no lack of hooks, solos and cinematic nods, Spike and company are all over the rock spectrum, and it makes for an unpredictable and exciting listening experience.
Travels well with: Seven Crows- Powers Of Observation; Stone Arch Rivals- That’s What They Say