Handclaps aplenty and an optimistic melody launch the good ship Love and Secrets by The New Starts Now.
It has a totally classic feel and production, with sweet vocal harmonies, a driving rhythm and the sort of feel-good vibe that often sounds deceptively simple but (as those who have tried to do so will know) isn’t simple to capture!
Light airy strumming of acoustics and a laid-back melody sung in octaves is followed by a metronomic piano motif. Then the vocal steps up in pitch and energy, followed by the rhythm – it’s a classic dynamic arc facilitated by clever arrangement.
It really is the kind of song that you listen to standing at a window with a great view – and then throw your arms wide to celebrate how you are, who you are, and how great the world can be. Music should always have great feel, be it good, bad, angry, yearning… I think that often gets lost amongst the bells and whistles of production, and the trinkets and gadgets in the studio. Love and Secrets wants to give you a cuddle. Oh, go on then!
Very much channeling a Lumineers vibe, we also get treated to a guitar solo, subtle layer of busy backing vocals, additional percussion, a dead stop… yup, there is loads going on, but it doesn’t feel like it. It feels great!
A shot in the arm and the aural equivalent of a beaming smile, it’s a positive tonic.
Download or stream the single here. Find & follow The New Starts Now on Instagram.
