Saturday 2 April 2022

MUSIC REVIEW: Let The Light In - single release from Stephen Donald


In a complete departure from his first single release, "Man In The Moon" [reviewed here: https://number9reviews.blogspot.com/2021/06/music-review-debut-single-from-stephen.html], Donald presents us with a romantic but melancholic ballad, 'Let The Light In'.

The music has that very familiar pop 'big ballad' feel to it, and despite being only accompanied by piano and small string ensemble, it felt as though the central 'swell' section should have had full orchestra and choir as well before returning to the solo piano and doleful final verse for Donald to emote alone. 

Descibed by Donald as a 'stripped back' ballad, it certainly has a more plaintive feel to it without the massed orchestral sound, and it also forces us to listen to the lyrics more closely too.

Donald has a rich vocal range and the sweet tenor easily switches to mellow baritone without so much as a glottal stop. And this dreamy ballad about dreamers for dreamers makes for a more tha pleasant listen. It's not original in its idea or execution, I'd be a liar if I said it was, but it is new, and extremely pleasing to listen to, with lyrics which are easily transmutable from ear to brain.

Donald was accompanied on this track by Frances Flute (The Bellows Mender), and is available to stream on all platforms from the 22nd of this month.

Reviewer - Alastair Zyggu
on - 2.4.22

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