It’s really, truly, something what JBNG is able to pack into little over three minutes of music madness on his latest effort, the single “Many Moons”. The track shifts through different moods, styles, and feels in what, for some passages, seems like far too short of a time. The adage about it’s better to leave them desiring more than to hang on even a moment or two too long certainly rings true on this masterpiece.

For starters, there’s a winner of a bass line, couched in a deep pocket supplied by live drums, that’s front and center, live and direct, and the very foundation upon which the tune is built. Sometimes, it’s extremely stripped down, like during the first celestial bar or two when it’s just the drums and bass—and a brilliant melody belted out by the lead singer.

During these heady moments the tune is a throwback to 1950’s doo whop, with just that palatable series of notes from your man JBNG and a sheer delight of background vocals, most likely handled by Monique Angele. But other times—like in the second half of the verses—there’s no denying the sheer verve of the rock tradition of which this track is clearly a part. The electric guitars rage, the bass soars out of control, and Angele manages to soar both behind, and above, were such a thing possible, the lead singer as the band truly lets loose.

The hook features a similar nod in this direction, although one might say that the rock and roll ethos is supplanted by something more akin to metal. We’re talking mosh pit heavy, out-of-control thoughts and activities as the song seemingly dissolves into a delicious form of chaos.

Leave it to the lead singer, Jaben John Groome, to restore order with his gruff, brusque vocal style. It’s reminiscent of yelling, yet delivered in an easy, almost playful way that holds your attention. Plus, he’s banging out lyrics about an experience in which he sojourned “to hell and lost my mind”.

But were anyone to ask, those far, far too few bars where there’s just a banging bass line, mid-tempo drums, and those supernal ‘doo wops’ backing up JBNG’s vocals,  make this one to put, and remain, in rotation for “Many Moons”.