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Review: Once Upon A Time In New York City by Indie Soull

Indie Soull is back again, although in truth he never really went away. The prolific singer-songwriter has been using his time in lockdown well, continuing his creative streak on the new EP Once Upon A Time In New York City. Consisting of three full tracks which I will cover here, along with a number of instrumentals, the EP explores the themes of isolation and emptiness that many of us will be able to relate to during this crisis.

Once Upon A Time kicks the EP off in a reflective mood as Indie Soull recounts a life-changing relationship found in New York City, and the love that brings not just for the person but also the city. Unsurprisingly considering the theme, it's quite reminiscent of Simon & Garfunkel in it's style. The track starts off rather gently, the acoustic guitar softly strumming chords behind Indie Soull's ethereal vocals, and the piano breezily running melody lines throughout. As the song goes on and the hook filled chorus enters, the playing becomes subtly more emphatic. By the final chorus there is a strident timbre to the tune that's reflected in the energy of the vocals.

Live Forever has a bit more ardor right from the start, with the rhythmic bass and jazz influenced guitar reminding me somewhat of Tracy Chapman. However, as Indie Soulls's tunes often do, it also evokes a very specific reference that was unlikely to be a deliberate inspiration, and this time it's Manic Street Preachers. A number of their tracks, both old and new, acoustic and electric, utilise a similar sounding chord pattern to me, although their music certainly has a different tonality to it. The hook is wonderful, and the vocals once again are swathed in soul as Indie Soull eulogises on immortality and stalled progression.

The third track Where Did New York City Go? is a more detailed tale about the fun of late night NYC, and the social vacuum that now fills the city. The melancholy that fills every element of this track is quite outstanding; the nostalgic lyrics, the beautifully emotive vocals and the sublime piano melody, it all adds up to a song that already sounds like a classic. Despite it's very timely theme it also feels somewhat timeless too, and the bittersweet hook is instantly magnificent.

In a way, I think that Once Upon A Time In New York City speaks to much of the universality and individuality of Indie Soull's song-writing; he manages to evoke artists from a relatively wide spectrum in often quite specific ways, but never sounds even close to an imitation. His music is of course comparable to other acoustic singer-songwriters, but as his song-writing improves and becomes more adept, his individual sound really starts to flourish. There's an old adage that the best music is that which sounds both familiar and original at the same time, and despite the minimalism of his sonic elements, Indie Soull continually hits the mark between these antitheses. 


Listen to Once Upon A Time In New York City on Spotify

You can follow Indie Soull on Twitter and Instagram

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