Frontman Jesse Gallaway // Photo by Gabriel Conover

Gallaway’s “NFO” (Next Flight Out) is an upbeat and carefree portrait of a hot afternoon in July from the Before Times™. Dropping April 2, the track is a one-way ticket to a time when it was normal to amble down the sidewalk maskless, heedless of the physical distance to others, the latest summer hit peppin’ your steppin’. It’s not summer yet, but this could still be that song…just keep your mask on, please.

There’s an immediacy to the electric guitar riff that kicks the track into gear. Head banging’s not usually my thing, but the commanding refrain changed all that. And when frontman Jesse Gallaway starts to sing, his crystal clear voice adds radiance to the mix of electric and rhythm guitar: “SoCal has done me well, but it’s been two years since it’s felt like home.” A restless lament, his clean, musical-theater-like vocals counteract the hard rock overture underneath. Delightfully repetitive, the guitar hook is an instant earworm.

The storyline traces a familiar theme: From California to Seattle, “we’re already two years in” hunting for a “place in this world.” It’s not groundbreaking, but it is relatable. [Insert city/town here] will do for now, but what else is out there? That unresolved tension is the song’s ethos. It’s the fear that there’s no perfect place, no matter how effectively certain cities (like Seattle) “seduce” Gallaway to stay, at least until one more soggy winter spurs him “to finally have that love affair, with a city that will treat [him] better.”

It’s easy to ignore the apprehension in the lyrics — the instrumentation is that hypnotic. The driving rhythm from the electric guitar and percussion is punctuated by an energetic horn section. A dreamy, psychedelic treat of a guitar solo is sandwiched between the second verse and the bridge. But listen close to catch the underlying sense of urgency: “I’m in need of a ticket / Get me out of here quick or I’ll forget to leave this nest when I’m fully grown.” It’s a warning about the dangers of complacency and the impermanence of life set to groove-pop-rock fit for a day at the beach with your besties.

That day at the beach (real or imagined) is a reminder to take a break from worrying, even if it’s just for as long as this track. Where the lyrics in “NFO” induce a little anxiety, the music offers twice as much joy. And that’s reason enough to tune everything out and turn this song up. Listen to the track below, and get ready to max out your volume knobs.