Friday Song: “Far Cry”

One could argue this is the summer of the US-adjacent rock power trios, with the Warning storming the rock charts representing Team Mexico and Rush storming arenas representing Team Canada, the first young and rising, the latter raging against time with humor, talent, and flair.

Rush’s tour has been a success by any metric, but finding their way to it was uncertain at best. First, they had to grapple with replacing their deceased friend and drummer, the inimitable Neil Peart, who died in 2020. Rather than going to the well of old rock drummers, they picked Anika Nilles, a younger German drummer guaranteed to put at least one woman at every Rush concert. Acting like their younger sister and up to the task in every way — drumming, stage presence, and pranks — Nilles has been a huge hit, honoring Peart’s legacy while distinguishing herself and energizing the band.

• The band also added a supporting keyboard player and backing singer to allow Geddy Lee to roam the stage more and focus on bass and vocals.

Speaking of vocals, there was also the issue of Lee’s voice, which was faltering 11 years ago when they last toured. How would it sound more than a decade later? Given Rush’s work ethic, you might not be surprised to learn that Lee spent more than a year with a vocal coach reviving his voice, learning new ways to manage it on a touring schedule, and developing new stage tactics to help him make it through every show with ease. The result has been a nearly complete recapture of range and power, which given the importance of his voice to the sound of Rush has brought the band back.

Today’s song — from 2007’s Snakes & Arrows — feels especially apt given the times we’re in, which are a far cry from the world we thought we’d inherit, and certainly from the one we hoped to bequeath to our children and heirs.

Enjoy!