Syn City Cowboys, ‘Control Freak’ – Song Review

Syn City Cowboys, as their moniker implies, craft cocky, raucous hard rock with loads of dude-rock might and fist-pumping action. The Overland Park, Kan., boys first got the attention of industry heavyweights with their debut album, 2010’s ‘Blow Me Away,’ packing catchy, in-your-face nuggets that sound even dirtier and cooler live. Now, a year later, the CD is getting its “official” release on Oct. 8, and the guys just released the album’s debut single, ‘Control Freak.’

“Control Freak” is an onomatopoeia of a track, with a freakish rock-‘n’-roll-bad-boy vibe. Of course, Syn City Cowboys’ roots lie in the late-‘80s, when Hollywood-style rockers ruled America, but the band also brings a modern, polished vibe, which should make this track a winner on active rock radio.

Following the deep guitar groove introduction and a few collective shouts of, “Hey!!!,” Syn City Cowboys pull out lyrics in the mark of Hinder and Nickelback: “Get a little loaded on a Saturday night / Everybody's rolling and they're feeling just right / Don't take long just to get this thing a started, yeah…”

The chorus kicks in with anthemic, party-happy guitar riffs. As for vocals, there’s plenty of the typical pickup romance autobiography: “She says I can't live without her now / I can't go on without a doubt / There must be something wrong with me / I'm starting to believe everything she tells me / She says I can't live without her now / I can't go on without a doubt…”

'Control Freak' is a tad formulaic, but there’s nothing wrong with a formula that rocks hard and will appeal to a mass of party-rock fans-- especially since it’s obvious the guys are having a blast doing it.