Singles // Syd Arthur // Ode to the Summer
As the strong rock guitar begins at the opening intro of Ode to the Summer, it’s no surprise that Syd Arthur are greatly inspired by the sonic pioneers of the late 60’s and 70’s. Not only in music, this influence clearly continues skin deep as the band members have a faint Terry Nutkins whiff about them. It’s so refreshing to see an artist in today’s world that’s steering away from the modern indie scene and focusing on an organic ‘rock ‘n roll’ style of music.
This is not to suggest that the Canterbury quartet are repeating something that’s already been done. The band’s husky vocals and crunchy electric guitar are bound together in a unique fashion and I love their clever mix of joyful anthem-style lyrics married with complex melodies.
One of my favourite things about Ode to the Summer is it’s raw unrehearsed sound. Syd Arthur pulls off a high-energy track that sounds as if it were effortless for the boys, kind of similar to watching a guy impressively strum out a tune at a party, while he casually tokes on a joint and sips his Red Stripe.
The formula of the track is a bit topsy-turvy. It has start and stop jolts, with continuous guitar riffs, delayed timing from the percussion, all accompanied by warbling vocals and heart-warming lyrics. There’s so much to grab your attention. It reminds me of making a collage; many textures, jagged lines, different sizes which are splatted together within a scrappy-looking art book. A total mess, bu the outcome ends up as something rather beautiful.
Like a puppet master, Ode to the Summer has a raw rock quality which pulls on your strings, making it inescapable to swing your hips and bounce your head. The song has a contagious gift, where each physical chord struck by the guitar, a chord is equally struck emotionally with the listener. The verses end in sharp cuts and when the notes build up and up to the chorus, I genuinely get that emotional ‘zing‘ in my heart (just like the first time I saw Paul Potts sing Nessun Dorma on Britian’s Got Talen… I’ve said too much).
Syd Arthur have been likened to other artists such as, Tame Impala, The Mystery Jets and Black Mountain. However, in their own right, these boys have breathed new life to the Psychedelic genre. The newcomers have taken firm steps toward the future of music, not back.
Sophie Verass.
www.sydarthur.co.uk – Click here for tour dates and song listens.
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