While the name of local pop-punk five-piece Fortune and Glory conjures up images of war heroes and perhaps pirates, their song "It's Our Time," off of their about-to-be-released debut EP S/T, is more about partying than pillaging. If you listen closely, though, there's something epic about it, too.
With a melody that hits you like a Jäegerbomb and a message about transcending situations that are downright crappy, it's an anthem that works both for drinking a beer at a house party and blowing off some steam after a frustrating day at work.
It eggs you on to shout along with lines like "There's nothing left here for us now / We pick ourselves up off the ground / Let's keep this moving forward," which are tossed from one band member to the next like a hot potato -- or a slippery fan in a mosh pit. However, it also makes you think, not so much from what the lyrics say but the pure adrenaline that accompanies them
The shards of hardcore in Fortune and Glory's sound -- crashing cymbals, crunchy guitar lines and a tempo that'll make you sweat -- give the tune a sense of urgency that a simple bubblegum-punk tune about perseverance might lack. And though its message can apply to many different types of hard knocks, the song is actually about the band's efforts to keep on keepin' on even when it seemed like they were falling apart.
"It's about how important the band and music in general are to us, and how even though it felt like a step backwards [after the original singer quit], we still needed to keep moving forward as a band," says drummer Dominic Trainor.
In other words, "It's Our Time" is the band's musical mission statement, or at least its rally cry when they kick off their shows.
An MP3 of "It's Our Time" is available in the related downloads section at right. More music by Fortune and Glory is available on its MySpace page. The band will unveil S/T in a show with Conductors, Direct Hit, Pussy Vulturez, and Ready Steady at Area 51 on Saturday, October 10.
MadTracks highlights and provides MP3s of songs performed by local musicians. All tracks here are provided with permission of the artist. If you are a musician based in the Madison metro area and are interested in sharing your work as a MadTrack, please send a message.
