Songwriter Neil Fergus welcomes a handful of featured vocalists to elevate organic soundscapes, refreshing storytelling, and catchy hooks.
To introduce the style and substance of his process, My Kind of Loser is an easy highlight – a memorable country pop setup and song, with intriguing but relatable verses, and a bright and impassioned hook.
The track is built around likable piano, guitar, bass, and live drums, and features a voice that feels genuine and characterful enough to represent the quirky sentiments of the central statement that is My Kind Of Loser. It’s a heartfelt and appreciative ode, and it effectively reminds us that what matters in a relationship is how you feel about each other, and not what anyone else has to say.
Great lyrics and a fine balancing of personality and emotional realism are key aspects of the Neil Fergus approach overall. However, these distinct qualities resound amidst an impressively versatile repertoire.
Consider the much more intimate, stripped-back piano ballad Lazy Moon. Here a male vocalist follows a breathy and intimate pattern of ideas and a smooth, comforting melody, through poetic lines that again pay tribute to the love and gratitude felt about a significant other. The song gathers momentum beautifully, doubled vocals adding warmth as a soft rhythm comes into play, and all the while, this title and looping sentiment is profound and powerful in gifting the song a clear something special to remember it by.
Highlighting a whole other side to his ability, the song Answered Prayer is perhaps the most euphoric and memorable of all. This original song features a huge build up of organic musicianship and impassioned vocals, evolving towards an immense crescendo, and a subsequently looping hook – which effectively lets the multi-layered embrace of the music work its magic all the more notably. An established and evocative arrangement and delivery, that again presents us with the true talent and depth of the independent songwriting realm.
Offering another twist in the lyrical format, Fountain Of Youth relays the story of a man seeking worldly riches and the key to everlasting youth, and instead realises that the girl he holds close is all he ever needed. Here we see an acoustic finger-style guitar rhythm guide us, alongside nearly whispered male vocals, for a folk pop arrangement that’s calming to let play.
Other highlights from the Neil Fergus songwriting collection include the Americana-acoustic contemplation and Faith of Something Wonderful. Here a more mature and raspy male vocal meets with acoustic guitars and a deeply reflective, personal but accessible ode to lasting friendship and connection. A personal favourite.
One final example of versatility is the song Keepers of the Flame. Here we get a more traditional pop soundscape and humble vocals, a strong leading riff, and a conceptual progression through a fascinating historical story that captivates. The central idea of ‘war is not a game’ resounds amidst a fairly modest, calm and concerted performance. The song is eerily mellow in presenting these ideas, and even delivers a fairly uplifting chorus, as we stop to appreciate those who laid down their lives. This juxtaposing approach essentially highlights an artistic depth to the Neil Fergus writing style that’s compelling to witness.
May the original and organic songwriters of our time take the lead in the coming months and years, the AI gap is still vast enough to keep realness at the forefront, and hopefully that authentic connection will remain in the hands of creative humans. Listen to all original music from Neil Fergus here.
