MUSIC VIDEO: New release from Scratchy Blanket is the perfect pick-me-up on a cloudy day

Shannon Keating’s voice is soft and sweet, sometimes sung just above a whisper. But even when belting out lyrics alongside upbeat guitars and drums, Keating, the lead singer of Pittsburgh indie band Scratchy Blanket, has that perfect balance of pitch and tone that resonates as so trusting, it’s almost hypnotizing. Which is the perfect fit for “On Top,” the band’s newest debut: a positive, feel-good song released last week as both a single and music video.

Having a bad day? Then “On Top” is a must listen, a song perfect for sad, cloudy days when you need a friend to tell you everything’s going to end up being alright in the end. “When all is said and done,” Keating sings, “you’ll end up being the one who made it. You made it out.” Pittsburgh music site The Grey Estates, which first debuted the video online on Friday, called it “truly the cutest video you’ll ever lay eyes on.”

Making the video, directed by Reese Hayes and produced by Dashing Agent, even more special to local music fans is its location, filmed in the Mr. Roboto Project, newly decorated last fall with a mural by Max “Gems” Gonzales and Jerome “Chu” Charles, seen prominently through the footage.

Reminiscent of sing-songy feminine voices like Beth Sorrentino, from 1990s Lancaster favorite Suddenly Tammy!, and more recently, Jessica Lea Mayfield, Keating comes across as both unpretentious and sincere. Need a friend? Keating is your friend. “When you’re down, I’ll be your strength, please just stay here, we can lay all day here in this bed.”

The rest of the talented band is also worth a mention. Alongside Keaten is Chloe Hodgkins, Keating’s married partner, on guitar and vocals; Zach Dowdell, drums; Harrison Thurman, guitar; and Marcus Morales, bass.

“On Top” is the first single from Scratchy Blanket’s upcoming full-length album coming next month, with a release party on Sat., Feb. 29 at the Glitterbox Theater.

This article appears in Jan 22-28, 2020.