It's been a little over a year since rock band My Chemical Romance called it quits after 12 years together, so it's time for the individual band members to move on. Today (June 11), MCR frontman Gerard Way was the latest member of the broken up band to release some new solo material, after he debuted the action-packed "Action Cat" on BBC Radio 1.
Shortly after giving the track it's proper introduction to the world, Way released the song en masse via his official YouTube channel.
Fans of My Chemical Romance are likely to be unoffended by "Action Cat," which falls largely into the hook-filled pop-punk genre that Way has grown to be a god of over the last decade.
Beginning with a small round of heavy-handed, quiet guitar strums, "Action Cat" quickly roars to life, with Way, the bass and drums all kicking in simultaneously six seconds in. The groove of the song carries it easily throughout its brief three minutes, seven seconds, but the real star of the show isn't the boogie-worthy beat but instead it's Way's fun-filled vocals.
For someone who's built a career catering to the downtrodden, Way is notably sunny on "Action Cat." The harmonies in the pre-chorus and the production on his voice in the chorus are particularly upbeat, blending into the instrumentation to give off an overwhelming feeling of happiness and hope, despite whatever the indiscernible lyrics may be saying.
Overall, chalk this one up as a winner for the outcasts. Maybe it's not such a bad thing that My Chemical Romance broke up if it's giving the world new material such as this...
Listen to Gerard Way's first solo single "Action Cat" below:
