"Everlasting" by Free Galaxy
Review
I do hope that you have checked out "Leave Me" on "Hot Music Live Presents Volume Two" by very fast rising Kenilworth band Free Galaxy? If not, you can download it (for free) from https://hotmusiclivepresents.bandcamp.com/album/hot-music-live-presents-volume-two
This very powerful & emotive track encapsulates why the band (namely Ciaran O'Sullivan, Luke Osmond, Harry Rogers and Callum Ward) are gaining fans all the time as their live act is so dynamic.
Thankfully, my colleagues on "Hot Music Live" have told you about Free Galaxy before, but today, with the release of their latest single, I'm pleased that I can add my appreciation.
You may remember their 2017 debut single "Everlasting"? This single is an acoustic rendition of this same song. It's interesting how artists sometimes revisit past glories either to see if they can rework them into something closer to their vision (e.g. Izzie Derry with "Let This One Be Mine") or to find new nuances within them: I'm guessing the latter motivation applies in this instance. In fact I think the exercise was wholly justified: it actually sounds like a whole new song to me.
Produced by John Connearn (and I'm already very excited at the prospect of reviewing John's own new single "First Things First" which is released next month) the track is a lot more opened out compared with the original release, as you might expect from an acoustic variant: equally you probably won't be surprised that the lyrics get a more prominent position & this does the band no disservice at all. In fact in listing the benefits of the remake you can certainly add both the highlighting of the words they have written & their instrumental proficiency too: a bold choice but it paid off & with the help of a sympathetic producer who both knows the band & who knows how to craft subtle arrangements which are built on space, feel & truth rather than relying on dense walls of sound to cover both weaknesses and strengths under the same blanket.
This lighter touch in no way detracts from the intensity of the performance nor its meaning: all the above benefits I cited above would be negated had the end result been a featherweight middle of the road single: it's not. If anything this new arrangement makes for a more powerful impact. I even found myself being warned by the platform that I might be somehow offended by it. Which I think tells you much about how it can strike home.
