Johnny May is a songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who combines retro rock music with a slightly more tangible pop background, making for something you’ll recognize as his sound fairly quickly. You’ll be blown away by the high energy of the instrument and the strength of the key line. The arrangement fuses distorted guitars with classic keys and vibrant drumlines, on top of which the artist’s characterful lead vocals deliver the song and its underlying emotion with remarkable power.
A prominent synth riff plays along with the beat, having the simple yet sad atmosphere of any standout and somewhat dark pop release. It’s a strong choice to portray the track’s musicality, something familiar about it, in keeping with most modern rock, without veering into some production direction that tries to sound overly creative or unique. That’s what it is and that’s a big part of the rock genre – the truth, the reality. The beat itself gets things moving in a similar way, and then on top of everything comes the undeniable sense of character embedded in the song’s concept, its emotion, and the lead vocal performance.
Structurally, moments between hooks lay bare the song’s melody and ideas. These moments are sweet, they give you time to ponder the concept, and they also create a stark contrast to the hard-hitting chorus that follows, so the impact is even greater. After this, each hook is followed by a catchy riff that further pushes the undeniable element of individuality. The different phases of the song make sense together, and furthermore, they offer something heartfelt and optimistic, but not without the remote emotional turmoil or experience that led to the writing of this song. The lyrics have a slight melancholy touch which really makes you think.
