Stingchronicity (tribute to The Police) release new EP and Video

2020 has seen a lot of really intriguing live acts emerging from the American indie underground, but surprisingly enough, one of the best bands to come to my attention in this specific capacity is actually a cover act by the name of Stingchronicity, in tribute to the music of Sting and The Police. While some critics might have an aversion to endorsing a cover band when there are so many exciting original groups coming to fruition right now, seeing the recently-released promo video of Stingchronicity’s live performance at The Ardmore Music Hall would likely bring them to the same conclusion that I was recently met with – while nothing can compare to the original sound of The Police, this is one act that has managed to encapsulate essence of their style without sounding the least bit derivative.

At The Ardmore Music Hall, Stingchronicity introduce us to their unrivaled spin on songs like “If I Ever Lose My Faith in You,” “Every Breath You Take,” “Synchronicity II” and “Message in a Bottle,” and throughout their setlist, there’s scarcely a moment that doesn’t translate as coming from a place of melodic efficiency (though sans the conservative, minimalist-inspired tone of today’s contemporary pop beat). “Roxanne” shows off some versatility in the band’s modus operandi – which is partly steeped in their being a quartet instead of a standard power trio in the style of The Police – and while all of the material in this video is pretty spellbinding, this was the one performance that struck me as being the biggest statement of identity here.

As instrumentally stimulating as these tracks undeniably are, I found that the vocal tends to be the brightest star in this particular collection of songs from Stingchronicity. Singer/bassist Todd Omohundro channels the passionate, honeysweet serenade of Sting brilliantly in “If I Ever Lose My Faith in You” and “Every Little Thing She Does is Magic,” and in the latter composition, I think he adds a bit more panache to his execution than what was featured in the original incarnation of the single. He’s playing the part fascinatingly well, but I don’t think he can be accused of overstepping his bounds as far as the stylization of the lyrics is concerned – on that front, everything here is as intact as it should be.

I wasn’t familiar with Stingchronicity before getting exposed to their work for the first time earlier this year, but I can tell from the moxie they injected into their recent gig at The Ardmore Music Hall that they’re planning on staying on their scene for the long haul – and possibly taking this sound to the next level. If there is one discography in pop/rock that is no picnic to pay homage to (purely from a dexterity point of view), it’s that of Sting and The Police, but here, this band shows the world that they’re more than capable of doing just that. I’m impressed with what I’ve heard so far, and once you’ve given them a listen, I think you’ll agree with me.

Mindy McCall