Barely a few months after the release of their previous single, Exit 22 Music and Chris Calamera are back with the new record “Just As You Are”. And it seems like the only rule of the New York City-based project is: there are no rules. They are mixing genres and experimenting with different styles and the result is the unique sound of Exit 22. Whenever the Calamera project drops a new release my expectations are extremely high. The song starts off slow and soulfully, and then loads itself with energy. The female vocals, as always, has never sounded so strong. It is one of the most memorable songs by Exit 22. “Just As You Are” builds into the kind of throbbing, stadium stomping hit that perfectly promos football and is equally radio-friendly without sounding like you’ve heard the song on TV.
Of course, this track highlights an enduring component of Exit 22, and an aspect their fans and listeners are looking for: catchy, sentimental, and personal music. Those aspects reflect dominating lyrics and soaring vocals.
The band’s strength in composing bombastic and loud songs that are immediate and inspire crowd-pleasing revelry just keep on coming. Chris Calamera is confident in his capability and knowledge of pop and rock music, and it shine through like a brightly lit diamond on “Just As You Are”.
Exit 22 Music aren’t shy to go beyond the norm of musical composition, to try something new, and it always works out for them. Obviously Exit 22 is still holding to their mantra of going beyond genres, of creating music that is more about the art than the cookie cutter sound that is often associated with pop-rock music.
They will no doubt be seeing their stocks rise exponentially in the near future. Not an accomplishment to take lightly, essentially, has cracked the code for the modern music world.
All this said, how easy is it for the talented songwriter, Chris Calamera to churn out so many solid records? Well, Chris has a very strong grasp on how pop rock works. The darker underbelly of the song maintains a big drive, while the melody and hooks provide for a genuinely captivating listen.
However, regardless of how you look at it, “Just As You Are” is a massive record, in its composition, execution and production. It’s built upon very pure emotions and a pretty clear mission statement. It has a strong conviction and, on top of that, loads of pop appeal. It’s a towering epic.
Exit 22 Music are defined by their anthemic vibe and their strong melodic vibes. Their best songs are the ones that truly mean something to the listener, and there is no doubt that “Just As You Are” falls comfortably into that category. All things considered, this might be Exit22’s strongest record ever.
However comparing it to past releases from entirely different times and contexts is not what this is about. Each piece of art is supposed to encapsulate a time, feeling, state, thought or some other kind of inspiration, and is representative of the artist at a certain point in their journey.
It is supposed to connect with people, to make them feel something about that state of being, and “Just As You Are” is perfectly capable of that. And more than that, it does it brilliantly.
More About: Exit 22 Music is the brainchild of founder Chris Calamera, a talented artist with over 20 years of experience in the music industry. The music production company’s blend of pop, rock and dance beats mark the sonic coordinates of the songs, including recent singles “Break These Chains”, “Lesson Learned”, and “The Magic In You”.
Straight out of New York City, Exit 22 Music creates songs that feels eclectic, yet direct and personal, echoing the work of seminal performers the likes of Matchbox Twenty, Kelly Clarkson and the Goo Goo Dolls, just to mention a few.
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