Music is an art form as old as time itself. Music and Art go through cyclical changes, rebirths and re-imaginings. The reason I love music and it's the most relatable art form for me, is that I can listen to a song and within an instant I'm back at home aged 10, I'm full of teenage angst or I'm setting off on an adventure not knowing what lies ahead.
I've also never gotten why people say they prefer the music of yesteryear and don't take the opportunity to educate their ears with the new artists, who take the influences of the "best years of music" and make something new.
That's the best way I can describe the music of James Highland-Partington aka Vincent's Last Summer.
I listen and yes it has a familiar feel to me. I can hear the influences of some of the greats of the past. Bands like The Cure, The Human League, Talking Heads even - but he's not a carbon copy of them nor is his music. He's taken the best elements of an era of music that many laud up as one of the greatest ever periods of music and he's created something that deserves to be considered with the same level of adoration.
If you have a spare ten minutes then I would recommend you grab a pair of headphones, pull up a chair and be prepared to be whisked off to a place that sounds a little familiar - but is oh so refreshingly new and utterly brilliant!
I caught up with James a few days before the release of shelf life, "The lyrics to these tracks all came to me quite quickly and it wasn’t long after that I had melodies and bass-lines in place which very quickly became demos.
The tracks on this project deal with themes such as detachment, isolation and loss but with them being expressed behind quite upbeat and optimistic tunes, it wouldn’t strike you straight away.
I definitely feel that this is a step up from my debut. I’ve grown as a producer and certainly as a songwriter and this EP feels like the beginning of a lot more stylistically.
I’m putting a lot of effort into Vincent’s Last Summer and I’m still trying to reach outside of my comfort zone genre-wise. On this EP there is certainly a diverse mix of genres across all 3 tracks but I’m slowly finding a style to call home".
Whilst I love the music of the past - the past is just that. Whatever his process of experimentation is, he's struck a formula that elevates the mind to a sunnier, happier, magical place!
Summing this EP up in one word - dazzling!
For fans of Yard Act Courting Blanketman Home Counties
Dreaminisfree always has and always will be free - Any artists looking to collaborate please email debbie@dreaminisfree.co.uk