Last night, I had the absolute pleasure of seeing Greta Van Fleet in concert for the second time. To quote their biography on Spotify: “Greta Van Fleet has cemented their status as one of the most in-demand live rock acts of their generation, having sold more than one million tickets worldwide with over 250 sold-out shows to date across five continents – including selling out every one of their headlining shows for the past two years.”
I discovered this band late last year and my obsession with them has only grown as I listen to more and more of their music. So as I was debating what I would entertain you all with as my hot take this week, it was hard for me to think of anything other than Greta Van Fleet.
And alas, the idea was born.
Greta Van Fleet only has four albums, each with a distinct sound that has been specifically curated through meticulous care and attention to detail. While all four are utterly amazing, I decided I would rank them for those who may be interested in diving into a new band or anyone who wants to explore a band even closer.
Let me disclose that if I could, I would rank all four albums in first place because I believe there are no bad songs made by Greta Van Fleet. But I cannot and as a result I seriously had to split hairs here. So here we go…
The Battle at Garden’s Gate: This album is what really generated a lot of attention for Greta Van Fleet and if I ever get married, two of the songs on this album will be played at my wedding (see my second favorite if you want to know what one of them is). This album allowed each band member to explore their talents and demonstrate why they are the next great rock band. The vocals, the guitar, the drums, all four band members get to perform their heart out on this album and you can hear the passion coming through each song.
My favorites from The Battle at Garden’s Gate: “Tears of Rain” or “Light My Love.”
From the Fires: Despite being their first album and only having eight songs, this album was groundbreaking for a number of reasons. If you believe what you read online, this album reignited a passion my generation never got to experience to the fullest extent: a passion for rock and roll. In fact it is such an accurate representation of the soul of rock and roll that “Stranger Things”, a tv show set in the 80’s, used one of their songs.
My favorites from From the Fires: “Black Smoke Rising or Talk on the Street”
Starcatcher: This is their newest album and the one I’ve had the honor of seeing in concert twice now. What’s utterly amazing about this album is the unique sound that each song possesses. If you didn’t know any better, when you listen to this album, you’d think each song came from a different album. It is so unique, so passionate, and as their newest album, you can tell the sound they’re honing in on and perfecting. My favorites from Starcatcher: “Farewell for Now or Meeting the Master”
Anthem of the Peaceful Army: Just because this album is at the bottom for me does not mean it’s no good. I like to view this album as a more developed version of From the Fires. Lots of the songs on this album are five minutes or longer and I believe it’s due to their desire to explore avenues of the sound they are curating. It is very focused on the rock and roll aspect and does not necessarily integrate aspects of other genres the way any other album might.
My favorites from Anthem of the Peaceful Army: “Age of Man and Anthem.”
