Track of the Week: Devil Whammy // Stuart Pearson
Surrounded by music from a young age, US-based Stuart Pearson began pushing out original music as soon as he could pick up a guitar – and by that time he was already writing songs and playing the piano. When his brother formed a band, Stuart’s brain sparked with ideas of performing, and he did so with lots of projects in lots of towns. In fact, his band Through The Woods was voted Band of the Year by the National Academy of Singers in 1995. Following a brief hiatus, Stuart returned with an improv musical called Life = Choices and then songs started “pouring down in buckets” leading to performances at Taste of Chaos and Warped Tour. We pick up here with his critically acclaimed “better songs” in Dark Americana: Stories and Songs and Mojave.
The second release from his upcoming third album American Gothic, ‘Devil Whammy’ is “an infectious, ridiculously catchy up-tempo song…a straight-ahead dance track about dancing with the devil.” Following the Gothic Americana track ‘We Are The Falling Rain’, Stuart Pearson retains his blend of post-punk, blues and Americana in the high-paced ‘Devil Whammy’.
Slightly frenzied with a kaleidoscopic arrangement, ‘Devil Whammy’ takes on an upbeat, high-powered tempo; however, as much of a catchy dance track as it is, the song is also kind of spooky. Blending elements of The Velvet Underground and Nick Cave in the single, it oozes an evil ambience as you are led through a surreal sonic forest. The depth and gruffness of Stuart’s vocals add an almost palpable grittiness as you begin to dance with the devil – or rather are possessed by it. Intriguing, haunting and a bit of an obscure single, Stuart Pearson highlights the fact that he is not to be pigeon-holed.