Gorgeous War

Gorgeous War is the all-new project from the one and only Joel Kanitz. You may have heard that name kicking around before; up until recently, he was the frontman of pop-rock band This Century, hailing from Arizona and a part of the same 8123 brand as The Maine -- the folks that make up the two bands are close friends.

This Century made the mature and amicable decision to disband after the release of final album, Soul Sucker (also worth a spin!), so the members could pursue something new.

Joel, aged twenty-seven, was the final one of the threesome to announce his fresh start, and that start is a solo career under the alias Gorgeous War. This was only made public on December 1st, but there's already a strong opinion from his fans, who have been patiently waiting, that it's his best work to date.

Through releasing artwork, playing guessing games for lyrics, and asking people to promote his upcoming new sound on Facebook in return for the chance to win an early listen to the début single, Kanitz built up plenty of excitement over social media.

The single itself finally came to light on December 11th. That single is called "In My Room" and it's absolutely stunning. He had the help of ex-bandmate Sean Silverman of The Technicolors and his brother Alex Silverman (once a part of This Century but left in 2014) of The Foxies, both in the 8123 family, to bring his song to life, along with the wonderful mixing talents of Colby Wedgeworth.

Kanitz has combined the pop-rock roots of This Century with some fresh electric sounds. "In My Room" kicks off with a slow-burn beat that steadily builds up to the chorus; still with a languid play, yet still echoing a dance-worthy rhythm. Some fans speculated it to sound akin to The Weeknd's deft mixes of r&b with pop.

Combined with Kanitz's always enjoyable lyrics, the song becomes a fluid blend of something light yet holding true meaning, found in somewhere as simple as a bedroom.

He may only have one song released as Gorgeous War, but it's already a unique marvel of something I can't wait to hear more of. Support Joel on his new journey and give "In My Room" a spin; you might even find a new favourite artist.

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