Skip to main content

Review: The Straw 1 by Indie Soull

It wasn't long ago that I have the pleasure of reviewing Indie Soull's album The Book Of Angels, and the prolific singer-songwriter is continuing his quick output with a new record called The Straw. There's a stripped bare acoustic version of the record already available, but ahead of the full album's release I've been privy to the full production version of the track The Straw 1. Following from the same creative flow as his previous records, The Straw 1 is a short, sweet and perfectly formed piece of acoustic song-writing that brilliantly captures everything that makes Indie Soull such a great artist.

I talked previously about how Indie Soull combines his influences together so comfortably, retaining a lot of his own personality in his song-writing. The Straw 1 definitely continues in this vein, but with an increasingly deft touch that brings to mind Simon & Garfunkel's mastery of the acoustic song. There's a purity to the melancholy of The Straw 1 that evokes sombre, sorrowful tones with the upbeat and thoughtful style that Paul & Art were so proficient at.

The tune itself has a slight indebtment to folk and country with a breazy soft-jazz slant too, but it avoids the trap of being too saccharine or too rootsy, finding a really nice balance between the two. There's a strong rhythmic melody that evokes a number of songs from Bookends. Instrumentally, the acoustic guitar takes the lead and combines perfectly with the jaunty, up-beat piano, while the percussion and subtle bass playing provide a rich emphasis to the melody.

Vocally, Indie Soull once again produces a performance that is both emotional and catchy with a faltering, breathy timbre reminiscent of Damien Rice's beautiful, understated dynamism. There's a certain robustness that sits behind this fragility too, and it gives the vocal performance a natural depth without having to resort to wild fluctuations or overly technical runs. Lyrically the song hits the right balance of metaphor and directness, using the minimal imagery of landscapes, flora and fauna to counterpoint the forthright theme of regret and the desire to return to something, or someone.

Even at a mere two minutes long, The Straw 1 might just be the best song Indie Soull has written thus far, though with the wealth of material already in his discography that's a tough judgement to make. What is undoubtedly true is that Indie Soull continues to be an excellent purveyor of songs that hook you in not just on the addictiveness of the tune and the quality of the performance, but in the captivating emotion that is behind them.


Listen to Indie Soull's music, including an acoustic version of The Straw, on Spotify

You can follow Indie Soull on Twitter and Instagram

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Interview: Eneko Artola

In a relatively short time Eneko Artola has gone from an unknown figure with a passion for music to one of the most notable new producers in house and music today. His background is fascinating, and his rise is one that seems to be nowhere near it's peak yet. His music combines the kind of soulful, vocal-led house music popularised a few years ago by the likes of Duke Dumont, Disclosure and Swedish House Mafia, and through the latter half of the 2010s has developed into the Electro-Chill and Tropical House scenes. Eneko puts a distinctive French twist into his sound though, reminiscent of some of the French House artists like Cassius or Justice, and it's a sound which has helped him gain some remarkable traction in such a short time. Based in London, the 20 year old originally hails from the French area of the Basque Country; but his travels have taken him beyond Europe, spending time in Canada and China before coming to the UK. In the first part of this interview we talked abo...
1 comment
Read more

Review: Voodoo Macbeth by The Judex

In the modern age, garage rock is one of those genre tags which manages to be somewhat intangible yet also quite specific at the same time; you know the kind of sounds to expect, yet it's also quite hard to pinpoint exactly what defines those sounds as garage rock. Sure there's fuzzy punk rock guitars, relentlessly loud drums and booming rock'n'roll vocals, but then you could say that about any number of genres. The nature of garage rock is more in it's historical outlook, and the utilisation of influences from a bygone era. That doesn't mean garage rock should be a genre reserved specifically for a niche subculture though, because while there is a rich fandom around the style, the best garage rock bands are those who can, musically at least, transcend some of the clichés inherent in those vintage tropes. This is where we find Philadelphia natives The Judex, a four piece whose intense form of garage rock blends in elements from blues, soul, rockabilly and punk. ...
1 comment
Read more

Review: At The Boiling Point by Marshall Oakman

There's something about boogie-woogie in it's modern form that is incredibly joyous. The melting pot of blues, rock n roll and r'n'b that defines the style is infectious but, certainly for those of us in the UK at least, it's rarely heard outside of Jools Holland's TV show jams. And when you do hear it, it's rarely done as well as Marshall Oakman's At The Boiling Point, an instantly catchy and remarkably well composed track that hits every mark a great modern boogie-woogie track should. Marshall Oakman may not be a familiar name, but over his extensive career the New York based musician has forged an impressive path not only as a talented songwriter but also a tremendous performer, with a strong reputation across the Eastern US. For his latest single he has enlisted the help of fellow New Yorkers Kasim Sulton on bass, Liberty DeVitto on drums and Paul Pesco on guitar, all of whom come with fantastic experience and provide skilful playing on the track. At...
Post a Comment
Read more