Following a tearful interlude spent in attaining fatherhood, Ryan Hamilton is back, and he’s not mincing words. On his new single “Godspeed,” the Texas-based rocker staked his claim in the music world again with the fury of someone who bowed out for all the right reasons and came back even more sure of what he was put on this Earth to do.
Out on Wicked Cool Records, “Godspeed” is Hamilton’s first single since his hiatus in 2023 to concentrate on raising his daughter. Now, at the goading of iconic musician Stevie Van Zandt, no less, who called on him to come back, and with it returning on a track that tugs from the heartstrings and is also quietly reflective. It’s the Ryan Hamilton we’ve come to love, one that hits back full of truth and guts, not to mention an innate gift for melody.
Godspeed” grabs you from its first crashing riff and proceeds like a confession turned up way too loud. The song’s audio kick packs an endearingly unrefined punch, walking the line between neatly polished rock and riotous emotion, precisely what you’d expect from someone wrestling with the inner push-and-pull of temptation and restraint. Hamilton delves into that moment just beyond the edge, when choices blur and barriers are pushed to the limit. It’s a song about persuasion, about testing boundaries not only in the context of relationships, but concerning our own capacities.
“Godspeed is about taking things too far, and attempting to convince an unwilling partner to do the same.” Hamilton says. “That’s where our demons live.” And that line contains the haunting honesty that is at the heart of this song. This is not about romanticizing recklessness but facing it. Hamilton has all the guitar slams and sensitive-macho vocal stylings you could ask for and then some, and his emotional investment in this tale far exceeds the call of duty.
“Godspeed” is a re-introduction, and also a reminder of why Hamilton was called one of SPIN’s “35 Best Lesser-Known Artists of the Last 35 Years.” His songwriting muscles are as strong as they ever were, only now strengthened by time, life, and some perspective. “Godspeed” is a reckoning, not just a triumphal return, for old and new fans alike. A rock anthem about stillness and struggle and the unyielding compulsion to say something real.
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