This recent release by artist Jon Ian Clarke has a pretty big feeling of experimentation to it from the very beginning. It’s a really unusual set up, alongside what is genuinely a really well written and interesting song, so on the whole what you get is something completely fresh, yet familiar enough to keep you feeling comforted, and listening intently.
The hook section in particular to this piece, the presentation of that key line – This World Keeps Taking Me Higher – is one that sort of absorbs into you as you listen. It’s a definite highlight of the whole song, and that’s a great thing to have mastered – look at any renowned or widely loved song throughout time; it’s the chorus people remember it for, more often than not. Yet leading up to this section in this case, and indeed surrounding it, is this hugely creative arrangement of music – and that’s something much more rare. The instrumentation seems to switch between the perfectly harmonious and expected sort of sound, and the utterly unpredictable, re-grab your attention and focus moments. It definitely keeps you on your toes, which is important – as once you get back to that hook section; the hypnotic warmth sets back in and you quickly learn to know and love the ins and outs of the whole track.
You can hear a range of different influences in the song that make you really appreciate this kind of indie song writing. The Eels came to mind a couple of times – the song writing that captures your heart, the chorus section that holds you in it’s warm arms, and of course the alternative, hugely expressive performance of instruments and added effects; not to mention the thought provoking lyricism. There is a lot to appreciate about this few minutes of music, and the lasting effect of this is that you’re likely to come back and listen to it several times – probably seeking out more music from Jon Ian Clarke soon afterwards.
Listen to This World Keeps Taking Me Higher over on Reverbnation.
