Single Review: "Meeting the Master" by Greta Van Fleet

Released: April 7, 2023

Official music video for "Meeting the Master": https://youtu.be/SFFKed1Dt4I

TL;DR: I wouldn't call this rock ballad Greta Van Fleet's best work, but that's a high bar to clear.

There are plenty of bands who have endeared themselves to their fan base with a particular style of music and lyricism. Greta Van Fleet became popular very quickly as a throwback hard rock group, but on "Meeting the Master", they pivot to a subtler sound. While it's not perfect, it does enough right to continue their reign.

The production is instantly noticeable for what it lacks. The leading instruments are acoustic guitar(s) and synths, a clear departure from their hard-charging electric axes, drums, and organs from such songs as "Heat Above" and "When the Curtain Falls." The electric guitars and heavy percussion don't join the song until the 2:40 mark. I can understand the criticisms and concerns of fans who preferred the group's callbacks to the sound of Led Zeppelin. Nonetheless, I think this song fits in well with the theme of hard rock groups releasing at least one famous ballad. Poison had "Every Rose Has its Thorn", Queensrÿche had "Silent Lucidity", and even Led Zeppelin themselves had the classic "Stairway to Heaven." The more measured approach to the instrumentation actually leads to a nice payoff and crescendo in the latter half of the song. This is a strong if not spectacular performance from the band.

The vocals are primarily handled by lead singer Josh Kiszka. Kiszka is often compared to Led Zeppelin's legendary frontman Robert Plant for his range, tone, and power. However, he shows that he's quite comfortable in performing a ballad as well, turning in a good technical performance from start to finish. He's still at his best and most charismatic when he turns up the volume and power, as he does at the midpoint of the track. This is a challenging song to sing, but with Kiszka behind the mic, you'd never know it. One thing that especially interested me is that his vocal style here is less reminiscent of Plant's than in his previous work. Given that the band can't escape comparisons to classic rock groups of years past, that's a positive.

The lyrics are the weakest part of the song. It has potential to be a really powerful and spiritually moving track, as the narrator opens by discussing his excitement to "meet the master", who "has been the only one." However, this track is less lyrically dense than other songs from the group I'm familiar with, and there's not much development beyond that. I presume that the "master" is God; the vagueness permits the listener to choose a god of any religion as the subject. Yet it just doesn't connect with me the way I'd hoped. Some might say lyricism is de-emphasized in rock music, but again, the history of other groups and Greta Van Fleet themselves suggest otherwise. I will say that the inclusion of the Hindu "Ram" chant was an interesting touch. All four of the group members get songwriting credits here; I'm hoping that the rest of their  upcoming album Starcatcher is a bit more potent lyrically.

Overall, this is a good but not great rock song that leaves me intrigued to hear what the remainder of the album will sound like. I suppose that makes "Meeting the Master" an acceptable lead single.

Score: 7.5/10 (above-average rock ballad)