Canary Gold return with an impressive sophomore single and accompanying B side that serve as a testament to the group’s ever diversifying yet unified sound, something those privileged enough to hear them play live will quickly be coming accustomed to.
Like a follow up to the debut album, the successor to a band’s first single can often prove to be an unexpected stumbling block - especially when the first release is a song as impressive as Canary Gold’s “The Streets Are Too Rough” which premiered back in March. It almost felt inevitable that whilst their follow up release would likely be enjoyable it may not reach the same peaks as their debut single which made an impressive mark for an Aberdeen band when it flew past twenty thousand Spotify streams in it’s first month.
It’s surprising and thrilling then to hear Canary Gold’s latest effort, “Broken Soul”, soars to new heights by pulling their sound into a more pounding yet still anthemic direction. The bedrock of powerful lyricism established in their debut single remains firm, yet the instrumentation built atop it is swifter in it’s pace and perhaps more effective in it’s rockier delivery.
Fronted by brothers, Spencer and JP O’Grady Canary Gold provide a more sophisticated form of indie. A branching sound that is born from a healthy diet of varying tasteful influences, unlike the usual tired palette of Catfish and the Bottlemen and Arctic Monkeys. They come across as a band unconcerned with the trends which the rest of the Scottish scene has fixated itself upon and instead stand apart by doing their own thing, similar to the likes of Van Ives or Baby Strange when they first began. It’s a trait that they share with countless artists throughout history and one that often is a sign of a group with big things on it’s horizon.
“Broken Soul” is a song in which emotion pulsates from every beat of the drum, every furious push of a piano key and every carefully thought word which is sublimely sung by Spencer, who takes up main vocal duties on this one, and echoed beautifully by brother JP. The vocals are draped atop the powerful instrumentation in such a sweet delicate balance that is handled so perfectly by the pair. It’s this particular tricky combination that helps to lend Canary Gold’s music such a transportive, almost hypnotic, quality that brings one out of the comfort of their listening space and conjures up impressionistic imagery in the way similar to a poem would but far more stimulating in this case.
The single also comes accompanied by b-side “Stop the Competition”, another foray into a different region of the group’s ever expanding musical landscape. It’s clear why the song was chosen as a b-side, it doesn’t have the power or infectious quality of a standard leading piece but nonetheless is a worthy addition to the Canary Gold canon. It’s a well put together slice of joyous harmonic experimentation that serves as a welcome breather after the intensity and vibrance of “Broken Soul”. The decision to include it reflects the maturity and depth of which the band care about their listener’s experience.
Canary Gold have released another pair of impressive songs, overcoming the potential sophomore single slump. Not only do the tracks pull oneself in and further the group’s sound as it stands but leave one excited to hear where their future adventures into single releases will transport the listener next!
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