Artist Spotlight

Single Review: Larry Jay – What Do I Have

A fantastic slice of country rock from the heartland, Larry Jay sings with soul on “What Do I Have”. Guitar playing is of the essence for he makes sure that the song unfurls along at its own pace. His voice remains steady throughout the duration. By far though the true highlight comes from the way he manages to bring all these many elements together, building them up until they become cinematic in scope. Everything about it displays an uncanny sense of timing, patience and atmosphere. Upon the song coming into bloom the amount of color that bursts forth in particular has a fantastic stately grace behind it. Volume is not a must it is a given for the way that the song increases in intensity gives it a whirlwind aspect to it one that feels undoubtedly lovely.

Things start off quiet, a hushed awe running though. Not much time is wasted before those sweet, reassuring elements are brought into the fray. Layer upon layer gets added with such serenity. Balance matters for there is a playfulness to the way he lets the song grow. Akin to a sheer force of nature, a gentle breeze becoming a great gust, there is something captivating about it. Lyrics feature a true understanding of the world. Sung with his personal experience there is a real, earnestness to all of it.

“What Do I Have” shows off the splendid storytelling of Larry Jay in speaking from an entire life lived to the absolute fullest.

–B.S.

Tweet LinkedIn PinShares0

Related Topics:country music larry jay what do i have

Up Next

Everything You Need To Know About Dre Banks, A Fast Rising Rapper Who is Rewriting History In The Music Industry

Don't Miss

Once Great Estate Are Masters Of Their Craft On Delightful “Shelbyville Inn”

Honk Magazine

Artist Spotlight

Dusty Edinger crackle tension into rock electricity with latest release “We Outshine”

In “We Outshine,” Dusty Edinger considers the emotional costs of giving everything you have to a relationship, and what else you might have to give. The first line carries a sense of uncertainty, “I gave you everything I’ve got, not sure what I’ve got left.” Simple but revealing statement, putting exhaustion and vulnerability at the heart of the track.

The lyrics heighten the emotional tension as Edinger sings, “Don’t you see there’s no easy answer I’m starting to break. And that feeling of being trapped, no way out, that’s what gives the tension in the song. Another vivid image is the sound of the other person in the narrator’s head, like “a runaway train”. Together, the lines create a sense of a relationship moving at a pace the narrator cannot emotionally sustain.

“We Outshine” brings that conflict into a full-band setting, with catchy drums and bass propelling the performance. The arrangement adds weight without losing the song’s emotional heart, the groove. The writing feels tentative. It’s a song about the moment when something starts to fall apart, all of a sudden.

Connect with Dusty Edinger on Spotify || Instagram || Facebook || Youtube

Tweet LinkedIn PinShares0

Artist Spotlight

Tabi Harlowe captures the ache behind attraction with latest release “So Pretty (It Hurts)”

Tabi Harlowe‘s latest release, “So Pretty (It Hurts)” opens up with soft guitar, dreamy vocals and plucked guitar. It explores the complex emotion of wanting someone so much and feeling it in a way that is hard to explain. The subdued arrangement gives the song a subtle character.

Candle in my window long after midnight is a great opener that immediately gives off a late-at-night vibe, and the emotional tension becomes more intimate with “you look so pretty yet it hurts my stomach.” And that’s what that song’s about, that juxtaposition of beauty and discomfort. There’s that feeling Harlowe has of being pulled towards someone, of carrying an ache that won’t heal. “I want you to go with me everywhere.” And that makes the desire all the plainer.

Also, it’s emotionally naked, the image of standing there with “my hands wide open” hoping the other person will get it one day. The song “So Pretty (It Hurts)” uses its softness to carry the weight of uncertainty and longing in the lyrics rather than its force. It’s a tender look at attraction, and that awkward in-between space of wanting someone and waiting for them to get it.

Connect with Tabi Harlowe on Spotify || Instagram || Facebook || Youtube