Artist and songwriter Wembi is on a roll right now, driving with heartfelt songwriting, soulful performances, and a brilliantly crisp, professional finish production-wise.
His latest single, A Child Like My Own, is one that intrigues and captivates from the offset, with a clear sense of depth and truth that hits hard and refuses to let up until the end.
Standing out on the strength of purely a piano and Wembi’s voice, with a subtle hint of reverb to rightfully increase the magnitude of the sound, the opening verse takes the listener through the details of the story in a poetic yet revealing, literal manner, and slowly but surely the intensity and emotions rise and rise.
During the latter half, a hint of strings accompany Wembi’s own ascent into absolute angst and passion – his aversion to the suffering at the core of the story pouring through with utter determination and an unwillingness to simply let it be.
At just under the three-minute mark, the song is over and done with before you’ve really had chance to consider it. Then you listen again, which is easy; and actually becomes quite addictive. You begin to connect the vague references with those that are a little more clear, and meanwhile this skillful balance between melancholy and optimism entrances. Lines like and so I will march today reach out and uplift in a powerful manner.
The song takes things from helpless to unstoppable in its short journey, and this is inspiring to listen to. Then the second verse makes things a little more clear, offering detail and specifics – crime, race, prejudice, inequality, innocence, justice – and the final chorus storms into view with all the more power.
Stunning, a perfectly well-crafted expression of frustration, sadness, and hope alike. Absolutely worth the time it takes to listen.
Download or stream the single here. Check out our in-depth interview with Wembi for more information. Find & follow Wembi on Facebook & Twitter or visit his Website.
