Why Black Swift’s Sally Grayson Reminds Me of Michael Hutchence

Sally Grayson the new Michael Hutchence?

by Kt Emmerson

Today my littlest youngin’ is sporting 103-degree fever and has rendered me completely attached at the hip on the couch. Not altogether a bad way to spend a Wednesday, but he can be a bit of a “tyrant” on good days, so a little rock and roll ear bud escape is the only thing I can call my own today.

Black Swift, “post-punkified Americana ‘n’ roll”… (as they describe themselves on Facebook) a band out of Stuttgart, Germany, serves that purpose. With a moniker like that, what new wave, rockabilly chick could resist? Led by Sally Grayson, a bonified badass with Ted talks, The Voice, the list of her accomplishments goes on, Steffen Eifert on drums, David Arzt guitar, and Tobias Unrath on upright bass (ooh, bonus points for upright).

Feeling the need to embrace my current obligation as couch-momma-and-chief, I opt for their last track, “Call To Love”. Wanda Jackson, Joan Jett, even maybe a little Motown? Some awesome Reverend Horton Heat, cowpunk, style riffs highlighted this final track on their album See Me Human (is that SEE ME, human? Or See Me (being) HUMAN?) Diverging from your typical rockabilly themes of cars, girls, and cool clothes, Sally hopes to inspire, envisioning her lyrics as message to do more, be better. Her dominant vocals style serves to highlight her positive message. I also hear a lot of INXS.

But here’s why I think Sally Greyson is like Michael Hutchence: Michael Hutchence wasn’t gifted with a large vocal range but man could he sell what he had. Throwing that seductive siren call, reeling in a hundred girls at every song (I admit to a super crush after hearing “Don’t Change“). Sally’s is likewise able to use her lower register to entice and excited. Hutchence was able to croon as well as belt. Greyson and Hutchence both lend their timbre to enhance and suit their songs. Lovely locks, gorgeous bone structure, and charisma to spare; the parallels continue. I bet she gives a lively stage performance as well, something Hutchence won accolades for.

Thanks, Black Swift, you’ve energized a tired momma and Called me to Love (even with sick baby tyrants).

BLACK SWIFT

facebook / website / bandcamp

support great artists, buy music