The combination of drums, piano, acoustic guitars and synth strings are arranged in a perky, staccato style that keeps proceedings marching along and provides punchy accompaniment to the smoothly-sung vocals. This is not painting by numbers, there’s some smart choices being made.
Music
The sweet orchestration of the track; the masterful blending of strings and acoustic guitars is reminiscent of singer-songwriters like Boo Hewerdine, erstwhile of The Bible. The percussion elements are a very welcome addition, too – adding a little drive to proceedings – but the major feeling here is one of reflection and contemplation. Dive in and have a soak.
Fusing a little of The Temper Trap with Of Monsters and Men-style vocal pairing, and a poetic, melodically entrancing songwriting style fit for the likes of Coldplay, Miccoli introduce themselves with soul and strength on this album.
“You succumb to the unknown, and by all accounts – that’s exactly what Sid intended to portray. A haunting and fairly unforgettable account of our world and the human experience.”
You can hear Emi Jeen’s connection to the lyrics, you can feel the energy with which she addresses the details; this grows and grows, right the way through to the final moments of the final verse – and then you get the calming drop to the hook once again, bringing you back down to earth.
“This second verse moment is huge, incredibly impressive – fast-paced yet lyrically flawless and refreshingly original. It’s worth skipping back through this verse alone to let the intricacies fully sink in.”
This slice of exuberant, unashamedly pop-tastic insanity comes courtesy of a clutch of 80s synth sounds and a very clever arrangement that somehow boots the retro-ness of its experience into a throughly enjoyable romp for right now!
A lot of reviewing is predicated upon making comparisons between the subject and other acts that the readership might know, but with The Lost Millions, this is more of a challenge than usual, and that’s a real feather in their cap.
The elusive Mayer returns with perhaps his most engaging groove yet. Kicking into gear with a soulful up-pitched vocal for a hook, a light and summer-style beat, The Love You Left Behind drives with swagger and possibility – a sense of overcoming, regret followed by strength and progression.
A hypnotic, pulsing, rolling piano motif welcomes in the listener and then the rubber hits the road and we’re off! It’s a clever, classy and contemporary sound, with pristinely-captured vocals (as precise as you like) treated lovingly with compression, reverb and delay.
DOC’s truth runs free on this album, in subtle but certain and smart ways, and this is the final building block that takes the album higher than eve.
Roundabout is an EP that has been pristinely crafted and expertly boxed up; ready to gift you a nostalgic and soul-soothing walk through the jazz-soaked streets of yesteryear.