Jed Crisologo
&
The Sun Killers

---

AST Tracks Review of “Working Hard”

Jed Crisologo and the Sun Killers’ new single, “Working Hard” is a swaggering, surprisingly vulnerable debut statement. The Seattle five-piece offers up a barnburner single pushing the six-minute mark, peppered with instrumental prowess and delivered with live band bravado earned in the trenches of weeknight bills and dives. “Working Hard” places Crisologo’s gruffly melodic delivery front and center. For anyone who has toiled with little promised in return, his voice fits like a well-worn denim jacket. A contrastingly sweet harmony vocal is provided by keyboard player Jonathan Shue, whose tasteful work supports Crisologo’s acoustic guitar as the two ease in the full band. The sparse arrangement has time to breathe before a fiery, full band climax nearly goes off the rails. It’s easy to hear how the band might fit the number in their live show, closing out a raucous, leave-it-all-out-there set. Listeners will not be surprised to find that the performance put on by Jed Crisologo & the Sun Killers vacillates in the space between a working musician’s exhaustion and the hard-earned release gleaned from the exuberance of the work. Review by Michael Wohl From its intimate first half to the wild and wooly closing jam, the tune is anchored with what seems like a mantra: “I been workin’ hard / it ain’t working out / so I’m workin’ on / what I’m workin’ for”. The simple refrain’s sincerity is immediate and relatable; the listener has no doubt that the singer has earned his stripes. In an increasingly scarce economy of attention, time, and energy for the working musician, Crisologo defiantly makes up his mind to charge forward — and not with any illusions about just how much labor remains ahead. “Working Hard” is an affirmation of Crisologo’s purpose, a song written to keep the listener going as much as the singer himself.

---

Subscribe for show dates and music releases