𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘆’𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿 - this week: Rainy Days - Blue Royals

Welcome all to 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘆’𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿, 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 𝙉𝙚𝙬 𝘼𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙨𝙩 𝙎𝙥𝙤𝙩𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 playlists.

𝙍𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙮 𝘿𝙖𝙮𝙨 - 𝘽𝙡𝙪𝙚 𝙍𝙤𝙮𝙖𝙡𝙨

Charles adds a little seasoning…

Think back not too long ago. That never-ending, heavy, lethargic summer. The relentless heat. The endless blue sky. The golden tan no longer a novelty; it's a permanent ultraviolet stain. The trees all lush green with envy as they watch you sip your ice cold drink of choice. You’re slow. You’re tired. You’re raw. You’re just too exposed to the elements, and it’s been too long. “Pray for rain!”, we all cry! Pray for rain. But the next day, not a drop. Nothing but blissful blue. Nothing but scorching sun. Nothing but pure “paradise”… There is no hideaway in which to hide away. You wear too much, you overheat. You wear too little, you burn. You crave the days of change. The days where sweat is a sign of hard work, not simply of being. You wish for the leaves to come down to earth in hues of orange, of yellow and of red. You wish for a cool breeze not articulated by a rotating blade. You wish for a cloud, if only to break the monotony of blue perfection. You wish, you wish, you wish. But in reality, you wait, you wait, you wait.

And then, just as you had resigned yourself to an eternity of hot, hot hell, one leaf falls on top of another. You find yourself able to breathe. That usual unchanging scene is interesting once more. Not just one cloud, but several. They remind you of perspective and distance. The trees have turned from one homogenous green species to a whole plethora of races; each able to show its true colours. Autumn - the most human of seasons - has fallen upon us, and summer has gone to rest its hot head. But with this new season’s pigments come rain. A much needed outpouring to quench the thirst of all. The pavement is daubed with glossy, rusty remnants. Slippery when wet! Autumn is the beautiful season. The cosy season. The season that switches your clothing habits from drawer to wardrobe. There is a fresh nip in the air, but it is not so cold that you feel you have stumps for feet (apologies to those without feet, should you be inclined to take offence). For me, Autumn is the pensive season. So let’s pense.

You've had your extended fling with the sun. It was like a dream. A dream that turned into a nightmare. Let us now try to remember what reality feels like. Cold freedom without the makeup. Like when a nation initially regains its independence: "What now...?". It's been so long, you can barely remember. But either way, it feels good. There is relief of a sort. Many argue about whether change is a good thing or a bad thing, but I think few would argue that one of the best examples of positive change, is the changing of the seasons. Let this new chapter be a fresh beginning. It may not be too pleasant for everyone, but at least you can concentrate on mending those scars that are visible now that the summer haze is gone.

Now that we’re done with my little map of autumn, shall we delve into a bit of music? Shall we? Then let’s. In order to start, we must move to Canada. Montreal, to be precise. That’s the France of Canada, mais naturellement. It is time to sink into a real treat from New Artist Spotlight member, Blue Royals, with their fifth release, Rainy Days. Now, this band has been on my radar for a little while. Several of their songs have been on my maybe list, but they’ve never quite made it to my Corner. That is, until now. Blue Royals is a band. Or rather, the sound of a band. Blue Royals is actually a duo consisting of two (as the term “duo” suggests). It’s a nice and simple setup too. Kristian Carvajal Velk is responsible for all the music, and Mattia Demaz-Hébert is responsible for all the vocals. They both write the songs together. Satisfying, n’est-ce pas? Perhaps just as satisfying as the fact that this landed on the same day as the final release from my album. Want more satisfaction? Both songs end with a most satisfying click!

But let’s not think about the end just yet. We have a beginning to persue. Good news, though: Rainy Days STARTS with a satisfying click too! The reel spins, and we are on our way. Good lord, both our songs start with piano! But here similarities cease. Already, I am cordially invited in. The open fire glows as if to offer me a brandy. Kristian is behind the grand piano, tinkling on the ivories as I sip. He gestures towards the buttoned leather armchair with a nod. I sit as my eyes wander towards the ancient low wooden beams above. Perhaps rudely, I ask the whereabouts of Mattia. But before I can barely finish my query, Mattia springs with grace from an open door. It is like the perfect timing of a musical, but not corny. He starts to sing. His thin scarf unravels and slips from one shoulder, but he tosses it right back where it belongs. And with this comes modern-day strings, wafting and floating, and he becomes an angel, glowing softly (0:54). The tape reel starts to warp with little flutter but much wow. Mattia’s soft glow fades, as does he. The lights dim, save one warm spotlight on Kristian, which then also goes out like an extinguished match…

Immediately the whole band appears with an invisible thump to the core. The sound of the room is resonating with the vibrant colours of autumn. The drums pound with intensity, as if the skinbeater is trying to get summer off its chest. A cleaner guitar strikes with every snare, while a dirtier guitar fuzzes up the place as if to say “THIS is why God invented guitar pedals”. By this point, it is Kristian on guitar. Mattia has already thrown off his overcoat, opting to keep the scarf “because he likes the way it flows”. In a fit of youthful excitement I throw my brandy glass in the air. But instead of it rising only to crash back down on the old oak floorboards, it pauses in mid-air and the room appears to circle around it like a scene from The Matrix. This coincides with 1:39’s heavenly vocal “oohs” and the lushest guitar plucks reminiscent of London Grammar at their finest. At this point (1:55) it feels a little like Coldplay circa 2002 (what most people call “when they were good”). But it is 2:11 when it goes full-on classic crashing Clocks-Coldplay. Kristian is firing on all cylinders through this section, while Mattia builds the vocal layers like it’s his last day on Earth. 2:43 is where you would swear that Jonny Buckland (guitarist of aforementioned band) had crashed the party. This is so live. So alive. So LIVING!! You get the picture: not dead. But all too soon (in a perfect way), things are suddenly exactly as they were when I first sat down. Brandy in one hand, fascination in the other. Kristian is at the piano. The only sign of Mattia is his scarf hanging from the corner of the mantelpiece. The fire crackles, the soft spotlight fades away, the tape spool comes to its end, and the door clicks shut.

Rainy Days really got me back into the joys of music. Aside from the exemplary skills of Kristian and Mattia, I must give a quick shoutout to Sébastien Rivard for co-producing and mixing this wonderful song impeccably. The overall sound is just as important as the song itself.

A quick dictionary reference for all you Americans:

Autumn: Fall. Pavement: sidewalk. Wardrobe: closet. And for those in Arizona, rain is wetness that falls from the sky. I know: a ridiculous concept; but believe me, it happens. You’re probably picturing the Arizonian Rainforest…

I will happily allow nature’s leaves to turn from green to brown. Call it a hue grant.

Listen to 𝙍𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙮 𝘿𝙖𝙮𝙨 on the 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘆’𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿 Spotify playlist HERE!

Listen to 𝙍𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙮 𝘿𝙖𝙮𝙨 on the 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘆’𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿 Apple Music playlist HERE!

Listen to 𝙍𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙮 𝘿𝙖𝙮𝙨 on YouTube HERE!

Follow 𝘽𝙡𝙪𝙚 𝙍𝙤𝙮𝙖𝙡𝙨 on Instagram HERE!

Follow 𝘽𝙡𝙪𝙚 𝙍𝙤𝙮𝙖𝙡𝙨 on TwiX HERE!

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