Set to a reggae-inspired beat but entirely too lurchy to be considered a straight up crossover, Jeremy Rice’s “Underneath the Ground” wastes no time distinguishing itself from the competition with a band of abstract charm separating its staring artist and the audience he seeks to impress. Whether you’re listening to the song on its own or taking in the artsy music video for the piece, “Underneath the Ground” is a surprisingly stimulating listen that, for better or worse, has a way of making a big impression on those within earshot well before it meets its actual conclusion.

BANDCAMP: https://jeremyrice.bandcamp.com/track/underneath-the-ground

Rice’s voice is the pop center in this single while his harmonies are the backbone of every verse he puts forth, and though I think he’s very excessive with the melodic charisma he tries to lend the chorus here, I don’t fault him for going this route at all.

For all intents and purposes, “Underneath the Ground” sounds like an old fashioned, radio-centric pop song that has simply been reworked to fit the needs of an eclectic-minded millennial generation ultimately disillusioned with the relative straightforwardness of 2000’s alternative rock. It’s not the only release of its kind you can hear right now, but likely one of the only credible spins you’re going to get from a Canadian indie player anytime soon.

APPLE MUSIC: https://music.apple.com/us/album/jeremy-rice-and-the-legendary-fist-of-takinawa/1479796320?i=1479796325&ign-gact=3&ls=1

There’s still a ton of potential that Jeremy Rice isn’t exploiting inside of the studio, but if there is anything we can learn from what he and his backing band put out in “Underneath the Ground” it’s that he’s not going to rest until he’s explored most every angle of his sound (one way or another). I really admire the experimental edge of this latest release, and even if it doesn’t score him any points in the mainstream just yet, it undisputedly verifies his authenticity in the underground at the moment.

John McCall