Welcome all to ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ป๐ผ๐น๐น๐โ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ, a series of weekly reviews by Charles Connolly – an artist in his own right. Here, Charles delves into the greatest brand new singles brought to you by the best unsigned artists on our electrifying and eclectic set of ๐๐๐ฌ ๐ผ๐ง๐ฉ๐๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐ฅ๐ค๐ฉ๐ก๐๐๐๐ฉ playlists.
๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ค ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐จ (2026 ๐๐๐ง๐จ๐๐ค๐ฃ) – ๐ฟ๐ค๐ง๐๐๐ฃ ๐๐๐๐จ๐ฅ๐๐ง
Charles makes a good thing differentโฆ
You know when youโve spent just ages on something because you really want to be proud of the finished result? Ainโt it so satisfying when it all goes to plan? Seeing as most of us are artists, letโs talk about this in terms of art. Makes sense. Imagine youโre a painter, and youโve started with the lightest sketch after having โwhitewashedโ the canvas. The perspective is just right, the intention is just as you had envisioned; you know this is going to work. And so, the first stroke of oil licks the canvas. The brush starts to guide your hand into the right areas, impressing and releasing pressure as it goes. Sometimes delicately, sometimes almost stabbing. Sometimes slow and languid, sometimes ferocious like the quick whip of a sabre. The layers build over several weeks until eventually you step back and see the painting not as a series daubs, but as one whole piece; a scene; a work of art.
The exhausted satisfaction runs over and through you like an ongoing windless, flickering sizzle; a fireworkโs continuous cascading last gasp. The feeling endures without regret or hesitation. You have succeeded. Up to now, it could be your finest. But as the years go by, you continue to sit with it. The โnowโ becomes a โthenโ. Since that moment of inspiration you have had many more. And since those weeks of expression your personality has changed. You think differently now. You work differently now. You wonder if that piece was the best it could have been. You have learnt so much over the years. You have improved in some ways, and changed in others. You have also become very critical of your own past work. You have even toyed with the phase of โnothing is good enoughโ. And so, with frustration and determination, you start again. Realising the merit in the original, you donโt begin with a violent whitewash; a destruction of the past; a deleting of history – thank the lord. Instead, you set it to one side, its pane reversed. You donโt want to be impressed upon, encouraged to copy what you believe to be less than perfect.
You start with a goal of current-minded perfection, knowing full well that perfection is impossible. Staring at the palette of similar hues, you wonder if these were quite right in the first place. A little more blue here, a little more red there, even a touch of yellowโฆ Yellow! You would never have added yellow all those years ago. And yet yellow seemed so natural now. Huh! Itโs funny how time can change oneโs persuasions. The conviction is strong; passion riding high. Why is it that this time everything is so much swifterโฆ? Are you more focussed? Do you care more? Was it always just a niggling irritation that needed eventual fixing so that finally you could move on to something new? Whichever reason, it is of no matter. The piece is coming together before your very eyes, and before long, it is done. You step back to admire, and admire is exactly what you do. A relief comes over you like that final debt repayment. You are free. THIS is what you meant. THIS is itโฆโฆโฆ You flip over the original and place them side-by-side. Hmmmโฆโฆ Now you start to wonderโฆ It turns out that the initial painting was indeed the very best it could have been. Much like the new version. Neither is better than the other. They are simply different.
And on that note, it is time to whisper with Dorian. Thatโs right folks, Dorian Whisper is in the house with his latest release, โTake To The Skiesโ. But wait, some of you might have thought that familiarโฆ And to that, I say โmy, look at YOU with the memoryโ!! โTake To The Skiesโ was indeed a song of Dorianโs from quite long ago (2020, as it happens), but this is a brand new version. The 2026 Version, to be precise. But I donโt mean a quick re-jig of the faders or the sprucing up of a tired dry vocal. And neither do I mean one of those doomp-tick doomp-tick remixes. This is a full re-recording; a reenactment from a different angle, with a different view. Dorian (not his birth name, but we all know him as Dorian, so letโs stick with that) certainly has a signature sound in recent years. One with echoes of the 70s, 80s and 90s. The crispness of the 80s and 90s, with the smooth warmth of Steely Dan. However, he didnโt always have this sound. He used to be more a soft lamenting crooner (velvet bow tie and a twinkle in his eye) in a bossanova jazz bar than the happy-go-lucky marine biologist we have come to know and love. Yes, when doffing the musical cape, he is genuinely a globe-trotting marine biologist (Egyptian by origin).
I think on the whole, many music artists do tend to shudder or cringe when they hear their earlier stuff. They shouldnโt. Very often it is not bad, but simply different. And sometimes, it is actually better than their current output, but the artist rarely sees it this way. Dorianโs earlier music fortunately falls into the category of simply being different. Not better or worse. However he thought of his mature song โTake To The Skiesโ, he evidently felt it necessary to bring it up to date with his more recent releases. And considering the original remains available for all to hear, I think this quite a wise move. Why ever not! Itโs also nice because this song was part of his very first release; an EP called โAs Long as You Wantโ – cheeky. And frankly, I bet most of you have never heard it, because listeners almost never delve far back enough. I think thereโs this peculiar assumption/notion that if something is old, it is probably not very good; where newness trumps goodness. Even for this reason alone I think itโs great that Dorian decided to revamp his song. But the main reason Iโm pleased he did is because itโs just fascinating to listen to the two entirely different versions, side-by-side. I could never say I preferred one over the other; theyโre simply different.
The original is more dry, more intimate, somehow more Spanish, with a lethargic heat. It is sadder and more private. But is also more cheeky in a subtle way. The piano and jazz guitar stand together in unity, sharing limelight equally. The whole piece is cosy and quite personal, with restraint and modesty. This brand new version, however, is something else. Firstly, the key has been shifted up a whole step, for a brighter shine. From the very first guitar strum, this has money. There is an expensive sheen of confidence and reassurance. What was previously a classical guitar motif has been usurped by a wide, ringing duo of distorted electric guitars. It feels almost like the LIVE version for a band that has played this song a million times and wants to finally try something new. Which I suppose in a way, it is. The drums have reverb. The rimshot strikes with a vibrant shimmer. Everything has very much more presence and gusto. Those guitars are more akin to Zappa than to Gilberto. And then, thereโs that voice. The most changed of everything, to me. The longing sounds more determined. Itโs like the difference between โsomething has gone wrong, how sadโ and โsomething has gone wrong, letโs make it rightโ. Dorianโs vocal is altogether much brighter, happier and positive. The pre-chorus is also one of the most changed parts. The original slinks into a soft bossa style (think Girl from Ipanema) while the new version rides and builds into a half-time funky groove complete with OWgan and choppy guitar strikes; the snare wallops the water with an almighty splash! The mix in general is technically far superior to the original, but that is not to say the original sounds worse. Itโs an interesting thing, sound. What one listener might call muffled, another might call warm. What one listener might call harsh, another might call effervescent. Like those paintings, neither is better or worse, theyโre simply different.
Let me know in the comments which version you prefer and why. And if youโre (for some reason) uncomfortable about picking one over the other, just say what you like about each version. Links to both are below.
After many tireless weeks, Iโve stepped back to admire my own masterpiece. Turns out itโs just a series of daubs. Ah well, Iโll call it modern art.
Listen to ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ค ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐จ (2026 ๐๐๐ง๐จ๐๐ค๐ฃ) on the ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ป๐ผ๐น๐น๐โ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ Spotify playlist HERE!
Listen to ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ค ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐จ (2026 ๐๐๐ง๐จ๐๐ค๐ฃ) on the ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ป๐ผ๐น๐น๐โ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ Apple Music playlist HERE!
Listen to ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ค ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐จ (2026 ๐๐๐ง๐จ๐๐ค๐ฃ) on YouTube HERE!
Listen to ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ค ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐จ (๐๐ง๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ก ๐๐๐ง๐จ๐๐ค๐ฃ) on Spotify HERE!
Listen to ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ค ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐จ (๐๐ง๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ก ๐๐๐ง๐จ๐๐ค๐ฃ) on Apple Music HERE!
Listen to ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ค ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐จ (๐๐ง๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ก ๐๐๐ง๐จ๐๐ค๐ฃ) on YouTube HERE!
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