Jason Sweeney - 'She's a Fighter Review'

Whilst COVID-19 has had a devastating effect on songwriters worldwide, Jason has used the hiatus of live music to explore other ways of connecting with his fans and to show his diverse musical abilities. In his series of livestream acoustic concerts throughout 2020, he performed versions of rock classics, contemporary country music and his own original songs, culminating in the release of a haunting and emotional cover of Wild Mountain Thyme on streaming and media platforms as the year came to a close.

Not being one to rest on his laurels, 2021 promises to be a year when Jason will release new, original music fairly regularly… starting with the single ‘She’s a Fighter’, which will be available from 6th February 2021. Inspired by his love of 80s rock music, will listening to this song take us back to the glory days of sing-along choruses, tight leather trousers, studded jackets and amazingly coiffured long hair???

Opening with a short burst of keyboards and a woman’s voice promising to “tell you everything”, the intro then bursts to life with drums and guitars/bass playing a catchy riff. The tempo slows for the beginning of the verse, with clean guitar, prominent bass and some hi-hat accompanying Jason’s familiar vocals; silky smooth but with a reassuringly rough edge, just like all rockers should have! The pace picks up with the drums, bass and rhythm guitar driving the song towards the chorus.

“She’s a fighter. Never giving up” sings Jason of his muse as the chorus bursts to life, mirroring the opening riff. It’s a wonderfully melodic rock chorus that will have you singing along in no time, such is its ability to get into your psyche! It evokes that same kind of positive, ‘winning’ feeling felt in 80s motivational rock classics such as Survivor’s ‘Eye of the Tiger’ or even John Parr’s ‘St. Elmo’s Fire (Man in Motion)’. If you listen to this whilst working out, you’ll run that bit faster or punch the bag that big harder… or if your daily aerobic workout is a bit of air guitar, I guarantee you’ll strum along in time to the guitar riff!

The second verse moves quickly from the outset, with lyrics such as ‘I can’t tell you about the state she’s in. She never complains if she doesn’t win. But when she opens that bottle of wine. She gets a little angry sometimes”. We probably all know a woman who’s like this, be it a wife, mother, friend or colleague. She’s the one who remains everyone’s rock (no music pun intended!) despite her own quiet struggles. Perhaps that’s the lyrical beauty of this song. It’s about real life and we can all relate to it!

The catchy chorus returns and leads into the bridge of the song… and that’s where it takes an aurally surprising turn! As the music builds to a climax, it’s the point of every 80s rock song where the lead guitarist gets to display his finest skills whilst posing in hamstring-pulling poses that are impossible for those of us who aren’t quite as flexible! But the obligatory guitar solo doesn’t happen. Instead, we are treated to a slower, more atmospheric section, reminiscent of the bridge in Whitesnake’s ‘Still of the Night’. Can music be described as sexy?? If so, this is quite sexy! But alas, it only gives us time to slow the heartbeat down and catch our breath before that catchy, melodic chorus returns to play the song out; “She’s a fighter. Always moving on. Never accepting defeat”. What a woman!!

On ‘She’s a Fighter’, Jason Sweeney successfully transports the listener back to the 1980s Sunset Strip with a track that represents everything that was good about 80s hard rock. The riffs, the vocals, the melodic chorus… it’s all there, just as it was with Warrant, Y&T, Ratt, Bon Jovi and many of their peers during the genre’s peak! If 80s hard rock is your weakness, then this track is for you! So, squeeze into your old ripped jeans, find that denim cut-off jacket with embroidered band logos and hit the subscribe button on Jason Sweeney’s YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. With plans to release a new single each month, leading up to the release of a new EP in May, there’s no better time to add his music to your playlists if you haven’t already done so… starting with ‘She’s a Fighter’.