By Keith Walsh
Pomona’s Hexed are back in action. After releasing their formidable second album “Necronomicon,” in January of 2020, then an 8-Bit electronic version in July 2020, they retreated a bit, as we all did, due to the pandemic. But now Hexed is back with an even more powerful sound and the stunning new single “Resuscitate Me.”
The track is heavy yet melodic, displaying a virtuosity that comes with experience. The production by Mikel James, aka vocalist and drummer Mike Hopkins, is agile, employing techniques found on old Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin records. Hexed is Cristian Acevedo -lead guitar, Billy Jones -rhythm guitar, Ian Contreras -bass and occasional vocals and backing vox, Antonio Del Rio – synths, and Mikel James – drums and vocals.
As Hexed is one of the more ambitious and interesting post punk bands in Southern California, I was eager to find out more. In an email exchange with Hopkins aka James, I queried about the track.
James explains: “I think one thing that was sort of different in our approach for this song was that it was a lot more spontaneous. Before the virus hit we were in the process of recording material for what would be our 3rd LP, but with the uncertainty of when a return to live shows would be feasible, we decided to postpone that project for the time being. Instead, we ended up with a handful of singles, of which ‘Resuscitate Me’ being one, that we saw fit to release in the meantime.”
“Resuscitate Me” features a catchy riff reminiscent of classic rock, and the lyrics tell of the give and take of an intense relationship “Lyrically,” James writes, “I would say it’s more about the sort of relationship, or power dynamic between the two characters in the song than it is about any specific person. It’s more infatuation than love. I wanted to combine various metaphors into a scene that dives into the strange mix of vulnerability and excitement.”
With its upbeat psychedelic sound, the track conjures up the 60s as well as the 90s. That’s all down to production by Hopkins/James. “I played drums and sung all the vocals on the track,” he explains, “and I also handled the production, mixing, and mastering. ‘Necronomicon’ was actually recorded entirely on Garageband, but this was our first track made on Logic Pro, and I’m quite proud with how it turned out.”
“Resuscitate Me” is available to enjoy on Bandcamp, Spotify, and other streaming platforms.
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