Project Grand Slam’s new single “I’m Falling Off of the World” rockets to life with the sort of explosive rush the band’s fans are accustomed to hearing. Bandleader/bassist Robert Miller and his cohorts have a respected discography behind them and a well-earned reputation as a top-notch live band, but there are absolutely no signs of them slowing down. However, the aforementioned explosive rush never comes at the expense of nuance, and Project Grand Slam never rushes the layered arrangement. They have a long track record of including original material and covers alike on their releases, but there’s been a steady increase in the former over the years. “I’m Falling Off of the World” is a first-rate example of how far Project Grand Slam’s original material has advanced in recent years.
Miller and Project Grand Slam’s songs certainly benefit enormously from vocalist Marilyn Castillo’s presence. She doesn’t have lung power capable of blowing down walls, Project Grand Slam’s songs don’t require chest-bursting histrionics but, instead, ample reserves of soul and musicality. Castillo has a boundless supply of both. Keen listeners will hear how Castillo keys her performance from the first line onward to the music rather than attempting to impose her will over the arrangement.
She has great lyrics to work with. Miller is responsible for both the music and words for “I’m Falling Off of the World” and he’s penned a piece that captures life in all its disorder and desperation. We aren’t talking about overwrought dramatics here but, instead, lean and pointed lines eschewing any self-indulgence. The balance between music and words is consistent throughout the single and the vocal melody does a good job of underlining the song’s message.
Drummer Joel E. Mateo sets an undeniably authoritative tone for this track. The production captures his live sound without ever allowing it to overwhelm the song or his fellow players. Alex Blade Silver’s saxophone gives “I’m Falling Off of the World” a fiery punch it might have otherwise lacked, and Tristan Clark’s muscular rhythm guitar deepens the song’s dimensions. One of the abiding pleasures of encountering Project Grand Slam’s work is how they sound like a band, not a collection of musicians, each time out.
They wisely never overstay their welcome. “I’m Falling Off of the World” gets to the proverbial point with an absolute lack of fuss. There is no rushing things either, despite the song’s high energy, and listeners won’t feel like Project Grand Slam glossed over a single line or musical passage. It’s a full-on experience, without a doubt, but tempered just enough by skill and experience. It’s those latter qualities that give Project Grand Slam’s “I’m Falling Off of the World” much of its power.
This single is from the band’s latest release, The Shakespeare Concert, one of the more unusual live albums in recent history. Project Grand Slam played a concert in 2021 for Lenox, Massachusetts’ Shakespeare and Co., a not-for-profit organization attempting to promote the theatre using Shakespeare’s works as a jumping-off point. Miller and his bandmates regarded the gig so highly that they soon decided to reproduce it in the studio without any second takes, no overdubs, just the pure unvarnished magic of live music. “I’m Falling Off of the World” is an excellent representation of its power.
Chadwick Easton