If the first track on your record feels like being thrown into a sunlit canyon of groove, chances are you’re doing something right. That’s exactly what ‘Rough Time’, the lead single from Jonny Corralitos’ new release, manages to pull off. A whirlwind blend of classic rock swagger, melodic intuition, and honest-to-the-bone vulnerability.
On the surface, it’s a track built for movement. The drums kick in like they’ve got something to prove, the guitar riffs twist and snap with a wiry charisma, and Jonny himself croons with the kind of vocal grit that’s earned, not manufactured. There’s a timelessness to it all with hints of ‘70s rock, maybe some Big Star shimmer, maybe a nod to early punk’s melodic bite, but it never feels derivative. Instead, Corralitos uses these references as colours in a palette that’s all his own.
But beneath that foot-stomping exterior is a plea dressed in dancing shoes. ‘Rough Time’ is a message scrawled on the back of a bar napkin at 2 a.m., a confession shouted through a smile. The lyrics are direct, refreshingly so, tracing the outline of someone not quite broken, but bruised, reaching out with open hands rather than clenched fists. It’s that rare trick of making a pop-rock song that both lifts and reveals.
He also shows off a tasteful interplay between voice and guitar. His riffs don’t just support the song; they speak, respond, and sometimes challenge his own vocals, creating a dynamic push and pull that feels lived-in and spontaneous.
For an artist whose backstory includes off-grid communes, bonfire jam sessions, and spiritual surfing interludes, ‘Rough Time’ feels like a distillation and a celebration. It’s the kind of tune that might pour out of a half-open van window as it climbs Highway 1, or blast from a garage where someone’s trying to put their pieces back together.
In short: it’s feel-good rock that’s not afraid to admit it doesn’t always feel okay, and that’s what gives it teeth. Jonny Corralitos might be reaching back to his roots here, but make no mistake, he’s also carving out new ground.
