REVIEW: Agony in the Garden – Falling in Reverse

You know that expression “all the feels?” That’s how we’d best describe Agony in the Garden’s latest single, “Falling in Reverse.” AITG’s latest effort is the debut single off of the group’s first release under the esteemed Spectra Music Group which is also home of Nik West (one of Prince’s bassists and musical cohorts), Leon & The Peoples, Hunter & The Dirty Jacks, and several other artists you should be keeping your eyes on.

We first discovered AITG while doing our monthly social roundup feature last month. We were drawn to composer and multi-instrumentalist, Mack Perry’s, virtuosic technique (he composes and records the group’s music 100% by himself) and strong vocal prowess that pulls on listeners’ heart strings. In fact, we think Perry could very well rise up to be the next Trent Rezner in the sense that he’s so versatile in his ability to run the show and put together intricate musical puzzles all by himself.

“Falling in Reverse” is a slight departure from the band’s first single we heard, “Obsolete.” It starts out with a somber guitar strumming that’s eventually accompanied by Perry’s yearning vocals. We’re captivated by the duality of this track—mellow, almost nostalgic verses are immediately followed by harder, edgier choruses that show off Perry’s dynamic vocal range.

Lyrically speaking, almost anyone can relate. The chorus chants,
“Now we’ve seen this pain before
and I wonder what it’s for
This thing called life
Always falling in reverse”

Like the stylistically varied verse and chorus, the song’s lyrical content details the ebbs and flows of “this thing called life.” Some days you can feel disenchanted and adrift and others you can turn it around and feel like you’re ready to conquer the world. It reminds listeners you need to take the bad with the good in order to appreciate all of life’s little wins along the way.

We’re thrilled about another exciting release from Agony in the Garden and between Mack Perry’s unrelenting drive and the new partnership with Spectra Music Group, we can’t wait to see what’s next on AITG’s musical journey.

Listen to “Falling in Reverse” here: