"Safe With Me" by Ollie Bond
Review
Hopefully, I do try to capture the best of Coventry & Warwickshire music (or at least such as I encounter) in my reviews but from time to time artists seem to end up waiting longer than they deserve for my expressions of respect & appreciation.
My apologies therefore to singer songwriter Ollie Bond whose work I do hold in esteem, as this is my first real review of him, despite his being held in such regard as to have been a national finalist in OpenMicUK, runner-up in ‘Godiva Calling' and a nominee for Best Acoustic Act in the Cambridge NMG awards and a most well respected regular on our own local open mic circuit for several years.
Today saw the release of "Safe With Me", made with the help of top sound expert Chris Field
The track features a fuller arrangement than those we are used to his solo performances: I particularly liked the tasteful slide guitar licks. Optimistic, tuneful & memorable, the song clips along with a purposeful dynamic which gives it a vibe appropriate to the uplifting sentiments involved: played at a slower ballad tempo while preserving the same words & melody might have ultimately failed to deliver the same emotional message & undermined the purpose of the composition. The production is admirably clear which serves & reflects both the clarity of Ollie's voice & what he is saying with it, without cluttering it up with superfluous instrumentation: after all I imagine this song will be destined to played live solo more than with a band.
As the days grow darker both literally & metaphorically, this song offers an effective counter narrative of community & friendship
