Review #34: Rory D'Lasnow ("Happy" - Single)

-


Singer-songwriter, Rory D'Lasnow debuted his second single of 2020 this November following the high praise of his first, "An American Lie" which was released over the summer.

Sending the listener serious Goo Goo Dolls vibes, "Happy" is a brightly tracked melancholy ballad featuring fellow musician, Phil Robinson on harmonica. 

D'Lasnow very much comes across as a singer with two voices, the first ushering in verse number one with a low, smooth, and sad tone that illustrates for us a story of deep feeling and a relationship turned to memory. The second voice, leads the chorus with expertly tracked harmonies, that bring out a nostalgic positivity that looks back at the highlights of what presumably once was. 

The aforementioned second voice continues to carry this song forward into the second verse which holds, much like the first few notes, a country style guitar turnaround following the conclusion of each chord progression. The harmonica, acting as a lead guitar so to speak, also gives the tone of this single a bit of a country sound. That said, it is not so strong that the listener would think this traditionally emo/alternative rooted songwriter is genre jumping. 

Following a lengthy but relaxing harmonica solo, conducted by Robinson, the bridge actually comes in much closer to the end of the song than some may be used to. The final moments of "Happy" bring back Rory's first voice as he delivers single notes and recites the chorus, just before one last bright refrain that takes us out. 

Overall, "Happy" is a fine addition to Rory D'Lasnow's quickly growing catalog and it produces Frosted Green's much sought after head bobbing effect, only this time I would suggest going East and West instead of North and South. Trust me on this. 

To hear more of Rory's music you can follow him on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, (@rorydlasnow) and all major streaming services. While you're at it, go follow Phil Robinson as well (@philrobinsonmusic)! 

"Happy" is available now!

- Ryan Hanratty//Frosted Green Productions

Spotify Link: 

https://open.spotify.com/track/3KsxuFI2uwhEHEkWeztl6z?si=yXUEOy4RQK-wBiQX56WTWA





Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Review #31: Freddie Bourne (The Troubled Boy at the Bonfire Disco)

-
Image
Review #31 Artist: Freddie Bourne EP: The Troubled Boy At The Bonfire Disco  Freddie Bourne has yet to cease to amaze me.      While I know it's been a minute since Frosted Green's last review, you may recall that  I also took a listen to Freddie's previous release, "Vulnerable Commercialism " (listen to it here ). That less than typical live EP in my opinion, felt like a very refreshing look into what goes on  in the mind of the modern-age singer-songwriter. Well now he's back again to flip the tables!      "The Troubled Boy At The Bonfire Disco" is the musical love-child of Ed Sheeran , Coldplay , Mashmellow , and Avicii . Yeah I know, strange baby. It's really good though!      As I began listening to this EP I was met with about what I expected ... at first.  On "I Hope You Don't Forgive Me", there is forty-seven seconds of very pretty and professionally produced finger-picking and...
Read more

Review #16 : Freddie Bourne (Vulnerable Commercialism )

-
Image
REVIEW #16 Artist: Freddie Bourne Album: Vulnerable Commercialism There is a lot to enjoy on this release, but the three most important things are that it is unique, it is heartfelt, and it sounds amazing. Freddie Bourne is a solo singer/songwriter from Jackson, NJ who shows off his professional vocal and piano skills in this new live EP called Vulnerable Commercialism . Being his fourth release, Bourne clearly felt like it was time to try a different approach to releasing new music. These new songs were recorded infront of a live audience in what seems to be a very intimate setting. Not knowing where the show took place I think enhanced the listening experience for me. I spent a lot of my time listening, trying to place where the performance could possibly be. My brain for some reason placed him in a hotel bar, but I mean a good one. Not like a Holiday Inn , but like Hilton or something fancy! Okay, I’ll stop now. I’m clearly showing that my wallet has not taken me...
Read more

Review #20 : Blue Vervain

-
Image
Review #20 Artist: Blue Vervain Song: Cycle     Sometimes less is more, and Blue Vervain’s debut single, Cycle does a great job of giving listeners a slight taste without giving away the new band’s entire vibe.     After listening to Cycle a few times, it’s easy to understand why BV felt this was the right choice for their grand unveiling. This song is merely a wonderfully done tease of what is to come. It’s brief, it’s interesting, and it dives into a variety of sounds.     While there is a chance that the full album, Wounds, dropping September 6th, may sound nothing like this single, I still think Cycle is a solid choice in the sense that it’s progressive simplicity sparks curiosity. What I found in this song is a well blended mixture of genres. The beginning, well the first half of the song really, feels very much like a track produced by an artist living in the new singer-songwriter age. This odd area in music, in some scenes has ...
Read more