An Indie/Alternative Rock band comprised of Desmond Lambert (Vocals/Guitar), Rob Flanagan (Drums) and Gavin Lambert (Bass/Percussion/Vocals) who have been tearing it up with live crowds ever since the 2000’s, Some Velvet Morning are recognizable to casual music fans due to their music’s memorable use in ‘The Grand Tour’, ‘Kick-Ass’ and many sporting events covered by Sky Sports and the BBC, with their hit single ‘Good To See You’ taken from the original 2021 release of new LP ‘Rough Seas’ becoming a regular fixture across live sport competitions to celebrate the long-awaited return to in-person live action since the pandemic began. They aim to build even further upon their critical acclaim and licensing deals with a Vinyl re-release of ‘Rough Seas’ that you can buy from sources like Bandcamp, Amazon and Music Glue on September 19th.
Co-produced by Rik Simpson – who has notably been in the studio with Coldplay – ‘Rough Seas’ is a fresh exploration of the band’s sonic palette as they stretch their influences of late Britpop and intimate Soft-Rock as far as they possibly can to meet their needs and the record’s music videos have each embraced other elements of this. For example, ‘Good To See You’ boasts kinetic editing and colder saturated visuals that mirror an unapologetic rock anthem that revels in stadium-sized sounds whereas ‘Love Begins’ uses a black and white colour palette to lean into Some Velvet Morning’s more tender sounds and cement its spot as the record’s emotional ballad.
In the case of ‘Ghosts’ – the album’s focus single – Some Velvet Morning tap into their most introspective songwriting senses as a blue washing wave paves the way for several different images to appear as many forces come into play within a track all about coming to terms with your past and how you grow wiser from the darkest moments of your life. Elements of Country and Alternative Folk are distinguishable from the get-go, as unsullied vocals build up a narrative-driven format for the lyricism to evolve from. Backing vocals keep the hurried yet balanced pace going headstrong as percussive handclaps, settling acoustic guitar melodies and an upbeat Pop structure make ‘Ghosts’ feel as accessible as it does relatable through its very concise duration.
Overall, while there’s nothing hugely different to contemporary pop/rock acts like Mumford & Sons and James Bay here, the track never feels too unoriginal and the lyrics come across as personal enough to negate the idea that Some Velvet Morning are simply looking for a commercial hit. Instead of taking that route, ‘Ghosts’ spreads encouragement to all without sign of deceit for any particular gain. The band just embraces the stripped-back nature of the track, with a simple yet stylish little tune which has solid longevity and a chance to connect organically.
Words by Jacob Braybrooke
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