Gus Harrower is a forefront man for Scottish music. Originating from Edinburgh, Harrower released his EP Mystery in 2015, taking him from Sneaky Pete’s all the way to a sold-out Wembley Arena. He released his follow-up EP, Where We Were, takes on a more critical tone of modern society, as well as maintaining the wonderful feelings made by Harrower’s blend of jazz and pop go beyond the barriers of each individual genre to create a truly unique sound from a one-of-a-kind artist. Now, Harrower has released Wonder, a sweet and uplifting song about how awful it can be to have your dreams come true.
Wonder opens with a gentle and sweet-sounding toy piano before kicking into an upbeat and balanced drum and piano track. Harrower’s rich vocals kick in alongside a summery guitar track. From the first verse the mood of the song – of being literal sunshine and rainbows – is balanced with the grim lyrics about the truth of a golden reality and the hardships that come with adventure. The chorus flows in after a quieter bridge, building up the hype with a rising drum and guitar track that flows with an energetic piano riff.
This song is equal parts seriousness and happiness; it’s almost like if Paulo Nutini had written an anime intro. Following a second round of the chorus, the song develops with a more dominant guitar track and a more intense moment from Harrower’s vocals, building up the exit to the song. The lyrics of the second verse really stand out to me.
With Wonder, Harrower questions fame and infamy, and the desire to be noticed without consideration of how the attention may change your life. However, he keeps the song from being depressing with a grand backing chorus and a thriving jazz sound from the piano and drum accompanying Harrower’s own lavish voice. At such a young age Harrower has already become a big name in Scottish music: his future in jazz is looking bright.
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