Seattle’s riff-wielding trio The Northern Light is back to scorch eardrums with “Secrets”, which dropped January 27, 2025. These three badasses—David Pollon (guitar/vocals), Kip Rondorf (drums), and Carl Larsson (bass/synths)—has been melting faces since 2018, and this track proves they’re only getting louder, tighter, and hungrier. Blending Neil Young’s raw storytelling, RUSH’s prog precision, and Dinosaur Jr.’s fuzz-drenched chaos, “Secrets” is a goddamn experience.
Frontman David Pollon cuts through the track with a guitarist’s swagger, his vocals dripping with gravelly urgency. The dude’s no rookie: he penned the lyrics in one feverish session on the shores of Lake Huron in Ontario, transforming a ukulele ditty into a full-throttle anthem. Meanwhile, Kip Rondorf punishes his kit like a man possessed, driving the rhythm from a heartbeat pulse to a tsunami of fills. Not to be outdone, Carl Larsson’s basslines rumble like tectonic plates, while his synths add a haunting, otherworldly glaze. Together, they’re a triple threat—no filler, all killer.
“Secrets” starts deceptively calm, like the eerie quiet before a storm. Pollon’s acoustic strums and wistful vocals lure you in, painting scenes of forgotten histories etched into landscapes. But don’t get cozy—Larsson’s bass creeps in like fog, Rondorf’s snares crack like thunder, and by the midpoint, the track explodes into a riff-heavy crescendo. It’s a masterclass in tension-and-release, mirroring the band’s own ethos: quiet introspection meets unapologetic fury.
Recorded across Seattle’s Orbit Audio and Temple of the Trees, the track’s production is as dynamic as the band themselves. “Secrets” digs into the ghosts of places—how dirt, stone, and water hold the echoes of lives lived. Pollon doesn’t just sing about memories; he howls them into existence, turning geography into poetry. It’s a theme that hits harder when you realize the track was born on Lake Huron’s rugged coast, where the past feels alive in every wave crash.
The Northern Light isn’t here to coddle you. They’re here to remind you that rock ’n’ roll isn’t dead—it’s just been reloaded. “Secrets” is a fist-pumping, soul-searching ride that demands volume. Save it now—your playlist needs this fire.