There is something slightly unfashionable about a great power trio. No studio excess to hide behind, no sprawling cast of musicians to dilute the chemistry. Just bass, guitar, drums and three players who have to make every note count.

Northern California’s Scribe understand the challenge, but they also seem to relish it. Their music brings together the muscularity of progressive rock, the immediacy of indie and an eclectic musical vocabulary that stretches from Rush and The Police to jazz, folk, R&B and classical music. On Five Alive, all of that experience is put in the service of something joyful.

Listen in here:

The track is the second chapter in The Saga of Little Guy, Scribe’s ongoing marriage of music, animation and storytelling. Little Guy has already been through the underworld, outrunning his demons and making his way towards the surface. Now, in “Five Alive”, he has become human. And discovers his inner child again.

It is an entertaining premise, but there is more going on beneath the claymation and surreal humour than first meets the eye. “Five Alive” is ultimately about what happens after the difficult chapter. About the moment when survival gives way to something else: curiosity, playfulness, freedom and the ability to experience joy again.

That sense of release fits Scribe’s musical approach. The band’s progressive leanings allow them plenty of room to explore while their songwriting remains grounded in melody and hooks. Dynamic bass-driven arrangements, expressive guitar textures and powerful drumming give the music its physical presence, but there is an emotional openness here too.

Scribe’s history helps explain that balance. Singer and bassist Jericho first began developing his musical identity in Glens Falls, New York, where a fascination with The Police quickly collided with the discovery of Rush. From there, his musical education expanded dramatically, taking in players such as Jaco Pastorius and Marcus Miller alongside jazz, R&B, folk, classical music and the theatrical world of Hair and Jesus Christ Superstar. When drummer Andrey Ravlyuk and guitarist Zebulon Baldwin joined in 2025, the current Scribe line-up finally came together.

There is clearly serious musicianship behind the music, but “Five Alive” doesn’t demand that the listener appreciate the mechanics before enjoying the song. It works first as rock music; energetic, melodic and emotionally direct and only then reveals some of the intricacies beneath the surface.

The claymation video pushes that playful quality even further. Little Guy climbs a mountain in a 4×4, drives off a cliff and continues his strange journey towards whatever comes next. It is surreal, funny and deliberately unpredictable, but it also gives the song a visual representation of its central idea: sometimes finding yourself again requires letting go of the version of yourself that simply learned how to survive.

Scribe aren’t afraid of ambition, but neither are they afraid of fun. Their progressive instincts provide the complexity; their indie sensibility provides the accessibility; and the Little Guy story gives the whole thing a sense of imagination that extends beyond the confines of a conventional rock release.

“Five Alive” is more than simply the latest song from a technically accomplished three-piece. It feels like an invitation to step outside the noise for a moment and remember the part of yourself that existed before the world became so complicated.

For Little Guy, that means becoming human again. For Scribe, it means making progressive rock feel alive, playful and refreshingly unafraid to be a little strange.

Keep up with everything Scribe on their Website

Stream music on Spotify and Apple Music