Tora Luna and Dominic Johnson – “Olive Branch”
-I’m not sure if it’s possible to smile wider than I do when I listen to this song. You can just feel how much fun the artists are having making this music. The instrumentation is delightfully unconventional and the energy feels like it combines elements of rock and blends them with… magical theater? I don’t know… really, there’s some Sgt. Pepper’s stuff going on here, that I can promise you. The clarity of the guitar riffs in the opening capture my attention right away. The production on the vocal is absolutely excellent, making the listener pay attention like listening to a lead in a musical. Lyrically it’s about empathy… saying that if you were in the position of needing an olive branch that you would want someone to help you. I’m not sure if this is grounded in a real situation or is a metaphorical need for help, but nevertheless we have absolutely all “been there” and I feel the energy of the song from first riff, through the lyrics, to the joyful instrumental conclusion. This is a treat!!!
Midnight Til Morning – “Ghost of Us”
-I’m not sure how many tracks I’ve featured from Midnight Til Morning by now, but it feels like a few and I think I say the same thing every time… tons of energy and great harmonies! This is a sound that feels like it transcends genre and demands that people pay attention. I hope these guys come to Cleveland/Akron because I would love to see them live. You can feel the energy in their sound. The synth work in the background is a good example of having it there for support, but not making it dominate the core of the rock sound. The lyrics are about the memory of a relationship that didn’t work out, “stuck in the afterglow… baby it’s so hard to let go.” It’s emotional, powerful, and sure to be relatable for a lot of fans of energetic pop rock.
Tyler James Bellinger – “Dandelion”
-Soul. Soul is the only word I need to type here. It would do this entire sound justice, honestly. Fans of artists like Allen Stone are going to find Bellinger’s sound to be quite welcome. The production is excellent here, allowing the soulful vocal to be the main focus of the sound. Honestly, I like the opening sentiment (and production style) more than the larger sound that it grows to in the middle of the song. Nevertheless, this is a high energy soulful production that’s sure to connect for a lot of folks. I firmly believe that in another era (maybe late 70s, then again in the 2010s) this could have been a chart-topping song. I am not sure I have a full grasp on the lyrics, but it sure feels like a bluesy soulful expression of “what could be” if a particular relationship worked out. To be fair, that’s on brand with the sound.
Image courtesy: Midnight Til Morning IG
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