‘About A Journey’ is a shimmering thing, a shimmering thing that gradually seeps into the furthest recesses of your mind before it builds into this huge cymbal laden swell of guitars, of sounds that swoop and bend in a way that blows your mind. And over this sings the gentle voice of LELO, singing words describing a journey. A journey that is much more than a physical journey, it journeys into social comment. And that voice that provides this calm, this quiet. And in the swell that voice guides you.
As you’ve probably worked out by now, I love and adore this track. I love the way it takes alternative rock and infuses that with dream pop. I love how it’s produced with such care, such attention to detail. I love that this song has a tune that is oh so ear-wormy. I love that LELO has resisted the temptation to make the words complex. I love how the words and music conjure up pictures in your mind. I love that this is mesmerising, and it draws you into the world of the song.
I adore that in it’s richness, the fact that it’s less than 3 minutes long doesn’t matter one jot, musically it’s as satisfying as many much longer songs. I adore that I can listen and listen to this without feeling that ‘just one more repeat is too much’. I adore that at it’s heart it’s simple song but that it’s layered and layered with sound, sound that conveys the song without overloading it. I adore that drops to voice and acoustic guitar at the end.
‘About A Journey’ is truly beautiful. It’s calming yet gently exciting. It leaves you feeling lifted and happy, happy but a touch of something else for this journey is not always a happy one. In those seemingly simple words there is a concern for society. But that concern is conveyed without beating it into you, and it’s all the more effective for that.
The single will also be released on turquoise vinyl and is available to buy here
The info
This single is the debut release on the brand new Bradford-based label The Boy Who Left Home To Learn Fear.
LELO has been touring the UK this month alongside Radidas and label mates Glass Mountain. There is one remaining date on this tour – 14th June – York – The Fulford Arms
