A few weeks ago, I just got done with the hardest stretch of work I’ve ever had. I was working 12- and 14-hour days for nearly two months. I was completely exhausted and totally burned out. It affected my life so badly that engaging in any kind of activity other than staring at walls was a burden. But when that stretch was done and I got my brain back together, I thought I needed some new tunes. I opened my music streaming service and started swiping through my list of bands I’ve been meaning to catch up with and thought Cory Wong looked like what I needed. And thus, a good decision was born!
Wong creates this wonderful upbeat indie pop and rock. How can you not feel the motivational energy in that song? A frequent collaborator of Vulfpeck, Wong has an equal mastery of musical energy. His songwriting and instrumentation is amazing, of course, but I find the ability to transfer this kind of energy to be the most interesting part of his music. Anybody can put together a catchy melody and write the perfect lyrics to express a feeling. But few artists have that uncanny ability to replicate the feeling the song is translating. That’s the part that should really blow your mind.
I think Wong is at his best when he’s just having fun. “Cosmic Sans” off of last year’s Motivational Music for the Syncopated Soul is just a fun and funky guitar jam. It’s just such a playful song that you really ought to have a smile plastered to your face the entire time. It’s also a bit of a mystery for your brain. Everybody has this thing in their brain that tries to guess where music is going. It’s this thing where you have to try to resolve things, including sounds. Wong tickles that itch without quite scratching it. It’s just all part of the fun of his music. So if you’re out there right now just dying to get out and experience life, I recommend Cory Wong to help you out. Check him out further on Bandcamp.