Dominic Argiro drives with high energy and an organic, infectious country-rock aura with this latest collection of tracks. Let’s Dance Tonight kicks things off well, offering an immediately upbeat vibe and a raw sound that supports the grit and passion of his leading voice in a genuine way.
There’s a mild familiarity to certain elements of this song, the hook in particular has a comforting sense of rhythm, and the concept is one that most party-goers or rock and roll fans will feel connected to. The verse sections offer a change in melody though, as does the outro – and all the while these chaotic guitar riffs rain down around you; suggesting that a live show is where this would really come alive. Those verse moments lean in more of a hard-rock direction than anything country or funk inspired, though the movement between the two styles seems to work well in this setting. It’s the songwriting that guides the experience, and a clear passion for music.
Do It Right emerges with a similar, now familiar tone – there’s something about the way Argiro sets up his songs and performs; it stays true to his way with creativity. However, there’s a definite change of energy here – this feels more notably country-like, even folk-rock influenced in some respects; those quickly descending acoustic notes, the organic presentation. Again, it’s difficult to pigeon-hole this music within the walls of a single genre. From a songwriting perspective though, despite the raw sound – which actually gives the recording a hint of realness and honesty – this one defiantly stands out for its thoughtful lyrics and the optimism and motivation that it offers.
New Years Love is a song with great potential, dashes of reverb reinforce a strong, emotional melody and a further sense of possibility and drive. The soundscape is rather blissful too, great guitar work – subtle yet relevant, spacious. There are still flickers of character in all of this – even the drum-line. By now, Argiro’s voice is quite unmistakable – a definite thread among this approach to musicianship. This is perhaps one of his most impressive vocal performances so far.
Adding a layer of indie-rock to the collection, Another Day presents a rather retro chord progression and level of distortion, as well as some vintage keys. It follows this up with a personally reflective and revealing song that lets you get a little closer to the artist and his experience of the world. It’s not an exclusively intimate song, there are elements of vagueness that allow the listener to make the journey their own – more than a few of these; it works well as an anthem to escape within.
In some ways, Argiro’s lyrics feel like a stream of consciousness – as if the words just poured through and were left as that peak of the natural expression; a genuine portrayal of the moment and the feelings that came with it. This song offers a really enjoyable guitar solo during the latter half, not to mention great rhythm throughout.
Dominic Argiro offers consistently uplifting and hopeful ideas within his songwriting. Whatever the mood or the style, there’s something inherently good-hearted about his work. A beautiful example of this is Unsung. The mellow mood suits the lyrical concept well – reflective and honest, as inspiring as ever and the sort of song that accompanies those darker moments and makes you feel less alone. The country ballad feel is perfect for this moment, and the progression throughout the song – the chord changes, the melodic evolution – it raises your mood in a gradual way and leaves you feeling satisfied, calm, and capable. A definite personal highlight.
There are plenty of other tracks to explore over on Argiro’s Soundcloud page. To finish up this collection though, Testify is a colourful yet notably acoustic offering that feels like a real-time performance right there in the room with you. The quick guitar-play is a constant characteristic of the artist’s work, as is his voice and indeed that sheer positivity that seems to shine throughout. A live show would likely be something that connects well for all of these reasons. That raw and real sound is also endearing and quite refreshing in today’s music world. Easily worth a look.
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