Raymond Revel stands tall on the strength of compelling, authentic and poetic songwriting with this release. The opening words alone shine with genuine heart and soul amidst a purely acoustic guitar-led backdrop.
Acoustic
There’s nothing to hide behind here, no over-use of effects or production details, this is just the artist and his music, as authentic as can be.
A far stretch away from the bells and over-production more commonly on display at this time of year. Joe The Bluesman leans towards the likes of The Pogues with this single, yet maintaining the opening acoustic purity throughout the entire lifespan of the beautifully thoughtful and appreciative Christmas With You.
Intended as a message of hope to other survivors or those currently stuck in this world, You Can’t Hurt Me No More speaks openly and emotionally, touching base on the issue of sex trafficking and reigniting the public’s awareness of it.
The band’s leading vocalist offers a humble yet passionate delivery that lets these easy rhymes kick in with familiarity and intrigue alike; thus, the lyrics sink in quickly, the scene is set, and the mind wanders as prompted.
It’s a mature, thoughtful and yet playful exploration of sound. I love the singer’s voice, the song’s narrative and I have to say that the other songs on We Were Children Yesterday sound similarly diverting. Spellbinding, in fact!
Beautifully sung and played, Blue is a grown-up delight of a song. Tackling subject matter like this can often be interpreted as indulgent, worthy or mawkish, but Macaco just gets on with the job of putting up a tremendous piece of songwriting and presenting it in the right kind of way. This is going to connect with people.
A magnificently accomplished track that gets better each time you listen to it. I’m a sucker for lyrics that mention brand names, as, for me, it roots the song’s narrative in our reality. Yet the effect of this song is still spiritual indeed. Great!
Last Stop On The Main Line takes a familiar topic, and presents it not from the surface, but from the utter depths of the human experience. The process of self-destruction, followed by that of overcoming, re-building and crafting a fresh start, all comes to light in uniquely provocative ways.
Bringing together delicacy of concept and tone, Don’t Leave Me rises up from acoustic purity to full-band warmth throughout its captivating and uplifting four-minute journey – impressing all the more so with each new moment that passes.
It’s always wonderful to discover that artists who make modern electronic music also have the ability and desire to craft it from the raw, organic essentials when necessary. Jared Lee is superb, an artist through and through.
It’s warm, fuzzy and comforting as well as accomplished and tuneful. It’s rare to find a song that wears its influences and target so plainly upon its sleeve – it’s a totally refreshing experience.