One thing you’ll find in Ken Woods & The Electrick Reckoning‘s music is observant lyricism, the sort of material that looks at the reality we are all living in, highlighting its flaws and critiquing when necessary. That’s what Woods does, and he seems pretty interested in the politics of his American homeland, so much so that he wrote a song about it, ‘S.O.S.’.
From a sonic standpoint, ‘S.O.S.’ blooms on a plastic blend of rock, funk and Americana elements, in fact embracing a kinetic, hypnotic character. Part playful, but also very reflective and serious, the track hides behind steady grooves and a luscious character to then deliver a rather impactful message. In fact, songwriting is where ‘S.O.S.’ really excels, with Ken Woods using the piece to trace the origins of MAGA and the rising American fascist movement. Those traces, for Woods, lie in the slow fizzle out of Barack Obama’s political resolve.
Delving deeper into his reasoning behind his critiques of the Obama administration, Woods explains: “I’m quite sure a lot of my friends will be cross, and equally sure that President Obama will be unbothered. But when we’re talking about ‘legacy’, Donald Trump and MAGA are Obama’s legacy. As someone who believes in social democracy and wants to see humanity, and the American experiment, survive and thrive, I think we’ve got to be willing to criticise our friends, and not fall into the trap of feeling tribal loyalty overrides the need for independent thinking.”
Recommended! Discover ‘S.O.S.’ now: